Ken VahnDijk, Author at EcoCare Pest Control

What to Know About Rats, Mice, Wildlife and Electrical Problems

by Ken VahnDijk | Mar 2, 2023 | Home Care, Pest Control, Rodents

Updated: March 2nd, 2023

Rodents might look cute, but you DEFINITELY don’t want them in your home. Not only can they carry disease, but their constant need to chew can wreak havoc on your electrical system, opening up your home to unforeseen fire danger.

But how do they cause electrical problems, and what can you do to stop them? Let’s take a look!

Why do Mice and Rats chew on wires?

Contrary to how it might seem, Rats and Mice aren’t always on the lookout for wires to chew. Really, they’re looking for just about anything to chew, because their teeth never stop growing! While our own teeth are rooted into our jawbone, a rodent’s incisors don’t have any roots. So they aren’t constantly chewing things to be a pain — they are constantly chewing to grind down their teeth and prevent them from growing into their brains. They often go for wires simply because they’re there, and they’re hidden where the rodent is also hidden (like between walls). Unfortunately, when rodents chew on wires, it opens up your home to a greater chance of an electrical fire. This can be caused by frayed wires or a short circuit.

Dangers of electrical fires

Electrical failures or malfunctions cause 13% of home fires in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association. They are the second leading cause of home fires. Unfortunately, the risk of an electrical fire increases when rodents come into contact with loose wiring, electrical panels, and more. That’s why it’s important to prevent rodents from entering the home as much as possible, and to recognize the common signs of electrical problems.

Signs of electrical problems when Mice Chew On Wires

Rats and Mice are nocturnal creatures, meaning that the majority of the time, you probably won’t notice them in your home right away. Because Rats or Mice usually choose to chew on wires that are hidden away, it’s likely you won’t even know they are chewing on the wiring until your home starts showing signs of electrical problems.

If you notice signs of any of these electrical problems, look around your home for signs of rodents.

Flickering lights
Bite marks on wiring you can see, or frayed wires
“Blinking” appliances or computers
Acrid burning odor
Droppings near outlets or wiring runs
Power failures

Regardless of these signs, it’s a good idea to regularly check the electrical wiring in your home to ensure it’s functioning properly and safely. Many electricians recommend scheduling an inspection every 3-5 years or so.

Tips to keep Mice and Rats out of your home

Tip #1 – Seal holes, cracks, and gaps in your house

Did you know Rats and Mice can fit through openings less than ½” in diameter? This creates a lot of opportunity for them to make a home in your home. Common places to check for holes include:

Near doors
Inside closets (near the corners)
In, around, or under kitchen cabinets
Around pipes under the sink
Inside the attic, basement, or crawl space
Adjacent to windows

Tip #2 – Clean up and properly store food

We all love food, but so do rodents. Make sure you properly store food both inside and outside of the home. You can do this by:

Store your food in containers with tight lids
Wipe up any spills and keeping kitchen surfaces clear of food debris (including dirty dishes)
Keep all cooking areas — including outside patios and grills — clean at all times
Cover garbage cans with a tight lid
Don’t leave pet food outside overnight and keep bird feeders away from your house
Store pet food in a sealed container
Pick produce from your garden or backyard before it goes bad
Keep compost at least 100 feet away from your house

Tip #3 – Don’t give them a place to call home

We know you won’t always be able to control this, but here are a few simple things you can do to eliminate living spaces for rodents in or around your home:

Move wood piles at least 100 feet away from the house
Keep your grass and shrubbery cut short
Trim tree branches at least 4 feet away from your home
Remove old cars, trucks, or tires that you aren’t using — these make great homes for rodents

Tip #4 – Call the professionals at EcoCare

One of the best ways to prevent rodents from infesting your home and causing electrical problems is to work with professionals, like the skilled team at EcoCare. We’ll help you set up regular inspections and recommend a maintenance plan.

Inspection

First, our exterminators will visit your home and conduct a detailed inspection of the property. They’ll inspect the inside of your property, including the attic or crawlspace, and search for signs of nests, infestations, or electrical damage. Additionally, they’ll scour the foundation and outside of your home for holes or small cracks that might allow a rodent in. Depending on what our exterminators find, they’ll recommend a customized treatment plan to best suit you and your home.

Exclusion

With so many opportunities for rodents to invite themselves in, “Rat proofing” your home can be a daunting task. But not for us! Our exterminators will thoroughly examine holes and cracks in your home. Then, they’ll seal off any questionable openings, like those found around pipes, vents, wires, and more. This is an important step in preventing future infestations.

Eco-friendly extermination

We are dedicated not only to ridding your home of pests, but to doing it in a safe and non-toxic way. With that in mind, our exterminators will only use rat poison inside of your home as a last resort. The use of poison inside your home might lead the rodent to die inside your walls, causing even more problems. Instead, we’ll use rat traps to humanely capture the rodents inside your home without posing any risk to your children or pets.

Rodent maintenance program

Keeping rodents out of your home takes a lot of work and effort. This is especially true for homes in areas with: compost piles, feeding stations for chickens, birds, or squirrels, homes on a greenbelt, and homes in a neighborhood with a Rat problem. Luckily, there’s a rodent maintenance program for that! Rodent maintenance with EcoCare looks like:

Setting up bait traps outside your home at common entry points to capture rodents before they enter your home
Regularly coming to inspect your home and remove any rodents based on a schedule that’s convenient to you

Schedule an appointment with EcoCare today!

Preventing rodents from infesting your home and damaging your electrical system is both an important and never-ending task. We can help! Learn more about our eco-friendly rodent control options and how we can help by contacting us today.

How to deal with Raccoon Problems and Damage

by Ken VahnDijk | Sep 8, 2022 | Home Care, Pest Control, Wildlife

Large pest cause serious issues here in Portland, OR. Whether it’s a raccoon, squirrel, or other large pest, your safety and your wallet could be affected in substantial ways if wildlife have decided to take up residence in your home. In this post, we’ll go over what types of large pests you need to be on the lookout for, as well as the issues caused by these critters. Is your home overrun with wildlife? EcoCare Pest Solutions can help get rid of them today. Contact us today or visit our wildlife page to learn more.

What type of wildlife causes home damage?

Just because an animal is cute doesn’t mean it can’t cause serious damage to your home. Wild animals will do what they please in order to survive – even if that means inflicting damage to your property.

Many homeowners don’t even know that some of these animals can do damage to their home. Since most large pests only do damage when they’re out of sight, some issues are a mystery until the pest is caught in the act.

Before we get into the issues that large pests can cause, here are the large pests you need to worry about coming onto your property and wreaking havoc:

Raccoons: One of the most damaging pests,Raccoons have adapted to living with humans and are drawn in by the convenience of trash cans and human shelter
Squirrels: Despite their size, Squirrels cause a lot of issues around Portland homes, including spreading disease and destroying property
Opossums: Opossums are known for entering a space and nesting, stealing food, and leaving waste, causing serious damage and creating unpleasant odors
Bats: Generally making a home in your attic or chimney, Bats can cause real problems in your home. In addition to carrying rabies and other diseases, Bats will leave droppings and cause unpleasant odors around your home.

Think your home or property has been infiltrated by a large pest? Get the help you need to safely and effectively remove them from your property. Remember, just because they haven’t caused issues yet does not mean they won’t in the future.

Learn More About Wildlife Pest Control

6 problems caused by raccoons and other large pests

Electrical damage

Large pests love burrowing into walls and ceilings. The shelter and warmth are particularly great for them in the wet and cold weather of Vancouver winters. Unfortunately, this can damage your electrical wiring. If pests have indeed gotten into your walls, then your electrical system may be compromised. Critters chew through electrical wires, leaving exposed wire and unsafe conditions in your walls. This can mean big trouble. Did you know that 9% of fires are started by electrical issues? And since you can’t even see if it’s happening, the risk is particularly potent.

Insulation damage

While the large pests are in your walls, electrical wires aren’t the only thing they’ll be chewing on. Another common target of large critters is insulation. Chewing through the insulation in your walls and ceiling will lead to less effective insulation in your home and a weakened structure. They may even leave a nest in your insulation! Even critters just walking around will lead to a bad situation, as compressed insulation is not as effective and will need to be replaced. Thousands of dollars in replacements could be in your future.

Damage to your lawn and garden

Even if these animals don’t reach the inside of your home, plenty of damage can be inflicted on the outside of your home as well. Raccoons and Squirrels love to dig holes in lawns to hide their treasures, leading to destroyed lawns and plenty of lawn care costs you otherwise would never have to worry about. They’ll also dig up garden plants and other vegetation and chew on young tree bark. Worst yet, Raccoons are known to dig into and rip trash bags, spewing trash about your property. Once they’ve done this once, they’ll keep at it as they now know it’s a source for food.

Spread of disease

Simply put, one of the top ways for disease to spread into your home is through large wildlife entering your home and wreaking havoc. If wildlife have found their way in and made a home, they’ll be leaving droppings and urine. This waste will be left mere feet from where you live and breathe daily, causing respiratory issues and potential spread of disease. One possible disease is baylisascaris, a type of roundworm that can damage your nervous system or cause serious injury. Many large pests also carry rabies, meaning even their presence on your property can cause serious injury or death. Signs that a Raccoon or other large pest has rabies includes:

Disorientation and unsteady walking
Uncommon voices, such as screeching or chattering
Drooly and frothy mouths
Paralyzed hind legs and difficulty moving

Pests exhibiting these symptoms are incredibly dangerous, especially to pets! If you see any wildlife exhibiting these symptoms it’s imperative you seek an experienced pest extermination team as soon as possible.

Lowered air quality

In addition to potentially giving you a disease, the feces and other waste deposited in your wall will leave the air quality in your home putrid. At first you will notice just a stink, which will only get worse and worse as time goes on. Even once you identify the issue, solving the problem completely will be hard since it will be difficult to identify the exact location it’s coming from. Other sources of rotting smell is food they’re storing decaying and going bad, and eventually the critters themselves dying in the walls and decomposing. The last thing you want you and your family to be doing is breathing in this air and having to smell the unpleasant odor day and night.

Exterior damage to your home

Lastly, large pests and wildlife can do a number on the structure of your home. Particularly troublesome areas include:

Roofs
Siding
Crawlspace
Deck

In order to get into your walls and attic space they’ll be coming in through your walls and siding. This means destroyed roof shingles, holes in your siding, and and damage to your roofline. This damage can lead to serious water and moisture damage around your home as the holes allow the environment access to your home. Plus, even more pests will have easier access. Fortunately, you’ll see these issues easier than others, and can address the problem once you see signs such as chew marks on your siding or loose shingles on your roof.

Call EcoCare Pest Solutions at the first sign of trouble

Pests do not just go away. A proactive response to large pests infiltrating your property is the only long-term solution to keeping your home safe and free from dangerous wildlife. EcoCare Pest Solutions can help with your wildlife infestation with our proven and eco-friendly approach to wildlife pest control. We’ll remove the infestation and prevent future issues as well. Contact us to get started or to have any questions answer on our pest and wildlife control services.

Simple Ways to Stop Ant Trails & Infestations

by Ken VahnDijk | Sep 8, 2022 | Bugs, Infestations, Pest Control

Ant infestations are the worst. Unfortunately, here in the Pacific Northwest they’re a regular part of life. In addition to being gross and inconvenient, they can be hard to truly get rid of.

At EcoCare Pest Control, we have tons of experience purging Ants from Portland homes once and for all. In this month’s post, we’ll go over…

Why Ant infestations develop
Home hotspots for Ant infestations
How to get rid of Ant infestations

Why do Ant infestations develop?

Depending on the type of Ant that has taken up residence in your home, your infestation could be caused by a variety of factors. For most households though, the cause comes down to 1 of 2 factors (or in many cases both):

Food source: Ants are always looking for food. Once they find a supply, they won’t leave until the supply is gone. Pet food, sugary food, and rogue crumbs are common targets for Ants.
Ant nest: Once an Ant nest has been established, your home will be a target until it’s eliminated. Ants love wet and rotting wood, so if your home has recently experienced water damage or is currently experiencing a leak, it’s particularly vulnerable.

Where are common hotspots for Ant infestations?

Did you know that the Ants you see are only 1-5% of the Ant population in your home?

While Ants can be found anywhere in the home, there are a couple places that are particularly vulnerable. These include:

Kitchens: Given an Ant’s drive for food, it should be no surprise that kitchens are the largest hotspot for Ant infestations in the home. This is especially true if food is left out, dishes pile up, or food is not well stored.
Bathrooms: Bathrooms are a hotspot of Ant behavior. Leaked water and moisture build up from showers providing an ideal home for Ants.
Walls and insulation: Ants (particularly Carpenter Ants) are quite commonly found inside walls and insulation. This can be particularly damaging since they may not make themselves immediately visible.
Rotted window frames: A particularly common way for Ants to get into your home, Ants often congregate around rotted windows. This provides both a place for nests to develop and a way for them to access the home in the first place.

5 Simple ways to stop Ant infestations

Keep danger areas clean

Given that most Ant infestations start with a food source and develop unchecked from there, the simplest way to stop Ants is to prevent the infestation from developing in the first place.

Ant colonies work by having “scout Ants” head out in search of food. Once they find sustenance, more Ants will follow to bring back food to the colony.

We recommend making sure all of the hotspots listed above are cleaned. Some other cleaning and storage tips to prevent Ant infestations include:

Cleaning up grease spills as soon as they happen
Thoroughly rinsing soda and juice containers before recycling
Not leaving any food in open air storage containers like bowls
Making sure any sugary foods are stored in tight containers and the containers are wiped clean after use
Be careful with pet food — bowls should be cleaned regularly and food should not be left out for long periods of time. Make sure to store in something other than an open bag, too!
Cleaning water build up in sinks or next to pipes immediately
Cleaning and scrubbing bathroom thoroughly
Making sure shampoo and soap containers in showers and bathtubs are sealed
Make sure any water or food spills in your bedroom are cleaned promptly. This is a particular issue in children’s bedrooms.

Find potential entry points and seal

Locating and sealing entry points will help stop the flow of Ants into your home. While it may seem like an impossible task given how small Ants are, the spots you should try to find are actually quite easy to locate and will go a long way. These spots include:

Torn window or door screens
Large openings under doors
Rotted windows
Cracks in your foundation

By sealing up these areas, you will help stop the flow of Ants and prevent a worsening of any infestation. Even if you don’t notice any Ants right now, looking and attempting to discover any entry points now may stop an infestation from developing.

Remove rotted wood

Ants love rotting wood. While even Carpenter Ants can make their way through solid, dry wood, they prefer and will tunnel through wet or water damaged wood.

If there are any areas that’ve been water damaged in your home, remove and repair the area immediately with new material. Even if it’s dry now, the wood has still been weakened if it’s suffered water damage, giving Ants an excellent opportunity to tunnel into your home and build a nest. This is particularly important in your bathroom, where water damage is common underneath flooring and behind cabinets and showers.

Eliminate Ant trails

It’s what every homeowner fears — getting home from a long day at work to see a trail of Ants in the kitchen. When you see this, act fast! Wipe up all of the Ants and dispose of them.

Clean the trail with a mixture of 1 parts vinegar to 3 parts water. This will stop the flow of Ants into your home from wherever they are traveling from, likely the outdoors. Unfortunately, while this will be an effective way of disorienting new Ants from getting to the nest, the Ants already in your home will not be leaving without further action.

Eliminate Ant nests

Eliminating an Ant colony nest is crucial to solving an Ant infestation. Any other solution will not truly rid your home of Ants. Unfortunately, in order to exterminate a nest you need to find it and come up with a safe way to destroy them.

While at times they can be easy to find, Ant nests are often found deep in walls, under floors, or even outside the home. This detective work often requires tasks that can be damaging to your home’s structure if not completed correctly.

And even if you do find the nest, making sure you destroy it with the proper extermination technique is extremely important. Sprays can be ineffective if not used correctly and bait solutions will not truly destroy the nest.

Updated: 9/8/2022

Hire an experienced Ant exterminator to locate and safely kill Ants

EcoCare Pest Control knows Ant extermination techniques and how to eliminate them safely from Portland and Vancouver homes. We’ve been doing it for over 18 years!

Learn how we can help you remove Ants from your home safely!

7 Signs You Have a Squirrel Problem

by Ken VahnDijk | Aug 11, 2022 | Infestations, Rodents, Wildlife

Updated: 8/11/2022

The squirrels running around your neighborhood are harmless, right? Generally speaking, yes – squirrels are very common here in the Portland area, especially the Western Gray Squirrel, and will typically keep to themselves.

On the other hand, our wildlife control team has worked with countless homeowners who have gone months without realizing the damage these “harmless neighborhood squirrels” are inflicting on their property.

The key is to stay aware of squirrel activity around your home so you can catch and control any issues right away. In this blog post, we’re outlining 7 tell-tale signs of squirrels wreaking havoc on your home.

Dealing With A Squirrel Problem? We’ll Take Care of the Issue Naturally.

Learn more about our approach to squirrel removal and control.

1. Strange noises around your home

If you’re paying attention, there’s a good chance you’ll hear a squirrel before you see any visual evidence. This is especially true during the winter or rainy months when you’re less likely to notice exterior signs of squirrel problems. Throughout the year, keep your ears open for unusual noises in your home. The two most common types of sounds you’ll hear are:

Scurrying and scampering
Scratching or chewing (squirrels inside your home will chew on everything from wood beams to drywall and electrical wiring!)

Squirrels often make their nests in attics, so you’ll likely notice these sounds coming from your ceiling. However, don’t discount these noises if you hear them in other areas of your home, such as your chimney.

2. Damage around your home

Inside your home, evidence of squirrel damage can be difficult to see. Most of the interior issues caused by squirrels are hidden away in your attic or walls. Take a peek in these areas and you may notice…

Teeth marks in wires, wood, and walls
Chewed electrical wires
Nests in your insulation
Wood chips scattered everywhere
Air vent damage

While you may not immediately notice if a squirrel is chewing up the inside of your attic and walls, it’s easier to spot signs of squirrel damage around the exterior of your home. If you suspect a squirrel problem, an inspection of your property will be very telling! Some things to look for include…

Holes in your shingles
Roofline damage
Chew marks on the outer panels of your home
Ripped open garbage bags or garbage scattered around your yard
Damage to bird feeders
Chewed up outdoor furniture
Chewed bark on young trees
Eaten garden plants

3. Squirrel droppings in your garage or attic

Squirrel droppings are a great indicator of an infestation issue and are most often found in your garage, attic, or near entry points around your home. However, identifying squirrel droppings can be difficult, as they look similar to other critters like bats, raccoons, and rats.

If you notice any type of droppings around your home, exercise caution. Wildlife droppings of any kind carry dangerous diseases and bacteria, such as salmonella. Avoid coming into contact with these droppings. Instead, immediately call a wildlife control company to come inspect the issue and identify the culprit.

4. A foul, decaying smell

If squirrels are finding their way into your home, there’s a good chance some of them aren’t making it out. Some squirrels get stuck while others are just too young to fend for themselves. Whatever the reasoning, soon these squirrels will die and start to decay. Many of our customers call us when they suddenly notice a strong, terrible odor in their house. This can be the smell of a dead squirrel stuck under your home, in your walls, or up in your attic. This squirrel needs to be found and removed in order to rid your home of this unpleasant smell. Pro tip: If you’ve tried to take care of a squirrel problem on your own by using a poison, you’ll likely eventually be faced with dead squirrels (and a horrible smell) inside your home. It’s always better to call an expert to take care of the issue naturally in order to avoid this issue.

5. Squirrel footprints

Squirrel tracks are fairly easy to identify. They’re small, with the front paws having 4 toes and the back having 5. In the winter, you may notice tracks in the snow or mud. During the rest of the year, you can often see tracks from their wet feet on your deck or driveway.

If you want to do some extra sleuthing, put a piece of cardboard covered in flour in the area you suspect the squirrels are inhabiting. If you have a squirrel problem in that area, you’ll soon notice tracks in the flour.

6. Signs of water damage on your walls or ceiling

Have you noticed water damage on your ceiling or walls? We hate to tell you this, but it might not be water damage at all, but rather signs of a squirrel population living in your attic. The longer a squirrel lives in your home, the more feces and urine it produces. If left unnoticed, eventually this waste will build up and seep into your insulation and wood. Just like water damage, this can cause staining, peeling, and bubbling in your walls.

7. Squirrel fights around the neighborhood

Seeing squirrels fighting in your yard doesn’t inherently mean you have a squirrel infestation, but it’s a good indication your home is at risk. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have all the great natural resources a squirrel needs to live a long and happy life. However, if a squirrel population is too large in one area, these critters will start fighting to defend their resources and rights to survival.

What to do if you have a squirrel problem

Identifying if your home has a squirrel problem (or is susceptible to a squirrel problem) is the first step in managing the issue. From there, it’s all about removing the squirrels currently living in your home and causing problems followed by exclusion work to prevent any future access. Here in Portland and Vancouver, there are laws dictating how you can control squirrel populations around your home. For example, did you know it’s illegal to:

Relocate squirrels from one property to another
Keep a squirrel as a pet

Additionally, if you notice a squirrel in your home anytime between the months of March to September, you can assume there’s a nest of baby squirrels somewhere in your home.

Choose preventative and eco-friendly wildlife control methods

Squirrels are so common here in the Pacific Northwest that many homeowners never consider how they might be causing problems for their property. However, now that you do know, make sure to take a preventative approach to protecting your home and family. At EcoCare Pest Control, our experienced wildlife exterminators take a careful 3-step approach to helping you control the squirrel population around your home. We’ll stop the issue at the source and keep squirrels around your home from causing any more damage.

Have Questions About Working with Our Team? Get Answers!

Read our Frequently Asked Questions

How to get Rid of Pest and Bug Infestation

by Ken VahnDijk | Aug 11, 2022 | Infestations, Pest Control

Updated: 8/11/2022

Pest infestation? You’re probably here wondering how to get rid of those bugs FAST! We know insects and critters can be frightening and gross. EcoCare is Portland’s go-to pest control company — we’ll help you through this one step at a time.

Stop What’s Bugging You

Step 1: Identify the bug

The elimination strategy you take will depend on the type of infestation. Before you can stop the problem, you need to figure out what kind of bug you’re dealing with.

Here in the Portland and Vancouver area, there are a variety of insects that could be causing you problems. The 9 most common pest infestations in the PNW include:

Ants
Spiders
Moths
Boxelder bugs
Bed bugs
Bees
Mosquitos
Ticks
Fleas

You probably have a good idea of what all these insects look like and can identify the species right away. But if you’re not sure, here’s how to find out.

Take a photo of the bug
Browse through our pest library, comparing the photo of your bugs to those in the library
Note the location, timing, and any other unique factors about the infestation, comparing those details to information you find about the species

If you’re still not sure what kind of bug is bothering you, reach out to our team. We’ll help you figure it out.

Step 2: Ensure your family’s safety

Depending on the type of insect, you should take some precautions to ensure it won’t affect your family or damage any more of your property.

Kiddos: If you have little ones in the house, make sure they won’t come in contact with the infestation.
Pets: Some bugs are poisonous to pets, so take steps to ensure they can’t get near the infestation. Or, if your pet is infested (with fleas, for example), quarantine them to help limit the spread and call your vet immediately.
Food: Do a sweep of your house to clear away and store food. Wipe down counters, make sure all your food is sealed in the pantry, and toss any old fruit or veggies sitting on the counter.
Belongings: Depending on where you found the infestation, you may want to move your personal belongings so they won’t come in contact with or be damaged by the bugs.
Protect yourself! Many bugs and insects can be hurtful to you. Bees, mosquitos, ticks, and more all pack a punch. Protect yourself to ensure you don’t get stung or bit. Always err on the side of caution and call a professional if you’re dealing with a hive or serious infestation.

Step 3: Find the source & seal off entry points

To successfully eliminate a pest problem, focus on the root of the issue. For example, killing the ants currently in your home will do you no good if they can easily find their way back in.

You must figure out the source of the problem.

Sometimes you can follow the trail to find the culprit. But depending on the type of bug, it might take a bit of investigating on your part.

A few things to look for include:

Cracks, openings, and holes in your wall, baseboard, or ceiling
Bushes, plants, trees, or branches touching your house
Fruit trees or with fallen/dead/rotting fruit
Unsealed food
Standing water in your basement or around the exterior of your home
Nests or webs in corners of your house
Hives and ant colonies around your home

You might also want to take a look in your attic or crawl space to make sure it’s clear of any signs of infestations. These places are often a source of bug problems in your home.

Once you find the issue, take steps to resolve it. For example, fix leaks or seal off and reinforce any holes and gaps around your property. Trim back bushes and clear away debris from the perimeter of your house. Seal trash cans or pick up fallen and rotting fruit or veggies in your yard.

Step 4: Eliminate

Now comes the time to exterminate the pest. This needs to be done very carefully and requires a personalized approach. You know what kind of pest you’re dealing with, so do some research to learn the best extermination methods.

Whenever possible, we recommend taking a conservative, eco-friendly approach. Dealing with strong chemicals and poisons is very dangerous. More than that, it’s often unnecessary. Start small and see what works and what doesn’t.

Always understand exactly what kind of pest control product you’re using and how it affects your family before using it. Keep any traps or bait safety away from kids, pets, and the rest of your family.

Remember, if you’re dealing with more than a few pesky bugs, a professional exterminator is the safest, most effective option. Often, DIY pest removal options don’t work. Be willing to call in the professionals when necessary.

Step 5: Keep a watchful eye

Once your pest problem has been handled, stay alert for any signs that the bugs might be making their way back. Take matters into your own hands by using a preventive approach. By taking some preventive measures, you can keep insects away from your clothes, food, and valuables.

Read our helpful guide on how to bug-proof your home through everyday preventive habits.

If you do notice the signs of an infestation forming again, don’t wait to solve it. Jump on the problem right away.

Or… solve the problem the easy way

DIY isn’t your style? Facing an infestation that’s just too big to handle on your own? Working with a local pest control company is always a faster, more effective solution.

We’re happy to take care of the problem for you.

For almost 20 years, EcoCare Pest Control has been helping homeowners throughout Portland and Vancouver eliminate bugs and insects. All our services are carefully designed to be safe for your family and tough on pests.

« Older Entries