It’s a boy! ???? It’s a girl! ???? Okay, so “technically” it’s neither but we do have a new arrival around here….although this arrival doesn’t need a bottle ???? and can already sleep through the night! (SCORE!) We are thrilled to announce that, in addition offices in Fenton, Ballwin, Chesterfield & St Peters, Blue Chip has recently opened up a 5th location in the Rock Hill/Kirkwood area! ????
Ants eat a wide variety of foods, so keeping your home free of food debris, crumbs, and dirty dishes is crucial to preventing an infestation. Although ants have an appetite for many foods, there are a few that are more likely to trigger an infestation. At Blue Chip Pest Services, we’ve put together a list of foods that are more likely to attract ants and a few tips on keeping ants at bay.
When ants enter your home, they are looking for a food and water source. In addition to moisture in your home from leaky pipes or other areas where water has gathered, food is also a significant attractant for ants. Once they find food, they will return to the nest and continue to forage in your home for food.
Greasy foods- There are types of ants that like protein and will seek out foods that have that nutritional content. Foods with lots of fat and grease are a favorite of theirs, including the wrappers from the meals. Be sure to clean up items such as fast food wrappers after eating to keep ants from discovering them.
Sweet foods- Most types of ants are attracted to sugary foods. Ants like the smell of fruit, sugar, and syrup and will quickly surround food once it has been discovered by the scout ant. After a cookout or party, it is vital to make sure that the leftover sweets are cleaned up and put away.
Leftovers/trash- Some ants, such as pavement ants, will eat any food items that fall onto the ground from discarded wrappers and bubble gum to other food-related scraps and trash. To help keep these ants away, be sure to store your waste away from your home and in a garbage container with a sealed lid.
Dealing with an ant infestation on your own can be tricky, and oftentimes can only lead to making the problem worse, so it is essential to enlist the help of the experts at Blue Chip Pest Services.
We provide comprehensive indoor and outdoor any removal services to keep your home ant-free all year round. Inside the home, we apply baits and dusts to all entry points. We also treat the basement and any water sources within the home for general pests. With expert pest control services, you can rest assured that your home will be ant-free. Our regular service program will maintain a barrier around your home that will not only keep ants out but will also help control other unwanted pests year-round for a pest-free home!
Contact Blue Chip Pest Services today to learn more about our ant removal services.
The warm temperatures in early spring bring the insects out of hiding from their winter habitats. The mix of warmth and moisture draws out swarms of insects such as termites, bees, wasps, and ants that can invade your home and outdoor areas.
Buzzing, stings and unwelcome pests in your home and yard can put a damper on your outdoor activities and get-togethers. Luckily, there are a variety of ways you can prepare your home to prevent an infestation.
In addition to the warmer weather and excessive moisture common in the springtime, many types of insects emerge to forage for food and to mate. Much of this activity tends to happen outside of the home, but it is essential to keep in mind that some pests will be seeking protection and shelter in your home and somewhere they can build a nest. Swarming pests to look out for in the spring include:
Wasps- Wasps range in color from yellow to brown as well as metallic blue and bright red. They also have a pointed lower abdomen and a narrow waist. They tend to nest in wood fibers that they scraped and chewed into a pulp, creating an umbrella-shaped honeycombed, paper-like home.
Bees- Bees are known for their black and yellow stripes. They tend to nest around the home in heaps of dry wood, decaying leaves, and other yard clutter.
Termites- Termites vary in shades of brown, white, and black and typically one-eighth of an inch to one inch long. They have both wings and an antenna and can be confused with flying ants.
Ants- A common type of ant in the St. Louis areas are the odorous house ant, known for the odor they produce when crushed. This type of ant is brown or black in colors ranging from 1/8” top 3/16” in size.
There are a variety of measures you can take to help protect your home from swarming pests. Each pest is attracted to certain elements in and around the home. Below are a few tips on how to remove these attractants from your home and keep your home pest-free this spring:
In the warmer months, the queen will come out of hibernation and begin looking for food. IF you notice that wasps are flying low to the ground in your yard, they are likely looking for grubs, larvae, or insects. In the warm spring months, wasps will be seeking protein-based foods, such as the burgers or hot dogs that you cook at your family BBQ. Be sure to clean up and remove any leftovers or pieces of meat to avoid wasps from foraging in your yard.
It is also essential to repair any broken siding or panels, patch cracks in walls, and other crevices to keep wasps from building their nests around your home.
Bees are seeking shelter and food when they begin swarming around your home. To keep them at bay, you need to remove these attractants. Be sure to keep your yard clean of heavy debris, empty buckets, unused hoses, and pipes. It is also essential to seal up any possible entryways that bees could use with silicone, caulk, or expanding foam. Like wasps, bees are also attracted to foods such as protein-based foods as well as sweets, so it is vital to clean up leftovers and food scraps. Be sure also to eliminate any standing or dripping water to keep the bees away.
Termites can cause major structural damage to your home in as little as six months after they have invaded. They begin swarming in the early spring months to establish new colonies. Termites, like many other pests, are attracted to water sources. To help prevent them, be sure to eliminate dripping or standing water around your home, repairing leaky faucets, air conditioners, and pipes.
You should avoid using cardboard or wood boxes to store your items in the attic or basement; opt for plastic containers instead. You will also want to replace all weatherstripping around windows and doors regularly and ensure that it is in excellent condition while also keeping doors and windows shut as much as possible during the swarming season.
Ants, such as the odorous house ants, tend to nest in walls, beneath the carpet, or in wall voids in the home. To keep ants from seeking food, water, and shelter in your home, it is crucial to make sure any crack, gaps, or other potential pest entry points throughout the home are sealed. Just like with the pests mentioned above, you will want to eliminate any dripping or standing water sources and make sure water is diverted away from your property. Keep piles of woods and other organic material away from your foundation. Ants are attracted to sweets as well as protein-based foods, so be sure to store leftovers in tightly sealed containers and clean up any dirty dishes or crumbs left behind.
At Blue Chip Pest Services, we provide comprehensive services to ensure the inside and outside of your home remain pest-free. Don’t hassle with ineffective DIY methods and store-bought treatments, let the experts at Blue Chip Pest Services create a barrier around your home, keeping your home pest-free year-round. Contact us today to learn more about our swarming pest control services.
