Howell, NJ Termite Service & Pest Control Company

After returning to his office after a long, holiday weekend this business owner in Howell, NJ noticed that several rooms of his medical office was overrun with drain flies. Drain flies, sometimes called sewer flies, are small, dark-winged, non-biting gnats. The key identifying trait for this fly is the unique pattern of veins in its wings. Their wings are covered with scales so they disappear in a cloud of fine dust when swatted or mashed. These pests feed off and lay their eggs in the accumulated "muck" (organic debris) that can coat drains if not periodically cleaned.

When we arrived and started investigating, we noticed that in several of the rooms was a drain in the wall. As we got closer, we noticed that the drains were dirty and full of drain fly larvae. This was how the drain flies were infesting the business. For treatment, we scrubbed out all the drains and treated them with a liquid product that removes all the bad bacteria, which is the breeding ground for the drain flies. Next, we treated the drains with a bio-foam solution that eliminates all fly-attracting odors. 

Once we finished our treatment, since those drains are hardly ever used, we mentioned a few simple, sanitation procedures that the owner and his staff can due to prevent any future pest infestations.

Carpenter bees are unique insects. They are distant cousins to bumble bees and have shiny abdomens. They are solitary insects, don’t live in colonies, and, as this homeowner in Howell, NJ was unfortunate to find out, nest in decks, sheds, fence posts, and other untreated wooden areas.

As soon as we arrived we discovered a lot of carpenter bee activity out by the back deck area. During our inspection of the home, we couldn’t find any carpenter bees from ground level, so we used a ladder to inspect the fascia area and found where the carpenter bees were active. Carpenter bees bore a half an inch in diameter holes into untreated wooden areas to build galleries. Once the galleries are established, the female carpenter bee will lay her eggs in it. The newly hatched carpenter bees will then travel only a few feet or yards away and create new galleries. If left untreated the infestation can become severe and remain present for years and years to come.  

Using our hand dusters we injected the galleries with a residual dust application which will eliminate not only the active bees in the gallery but the unhatched eggs as well. Next, we applied a liquid non-repellent along the entire exterior of the property. The carpenter bees can't smell, taste, or avoid this product and, as a result, unknowingly contact and ingest it as they go about their routine activities. In a few weeks, the carpenter bees are eliminated. We scheduled a follow-up inspection to make sure that this home is free from carpenter bees. 

Recently, we were sent on a service call for a homeowner in Holmdel, NJ who was suffering from high humidity levels in his basement and was concerned that mold might develop. Controlling the humidity levels in your home greatly influences the comfort you will experience as well as save you energy and reduce maintenance. Your home will feel most comfortable at humidity levels between 30 - 50%. Too much humidity can cause condensation on windows, wet stains on walls and ceilings, moldy bathrooms, musty odor, and/or clammy feel to the air. Rot and structural damage can also result from extended periods of high humidity in your home and can attract pests. 

Once we arrived, we equipped our personal protective equipment (mold is a hazard in enclosed spaces) and began an inspection in the basement. After a thorough inspection of the entire basement, we didn't find any signs of mold growth present. We then measured the humidity levels in the basement with our hygrometer, which is a device used to measure the water vapor in the air, and determined that the humidity levels were so high that it was only a matter of time until mold develops.

To treat the high humidity levels, we installed SaniDry commercial-grade dehumidifiers. These machines are specifically designed and manufactured for the challenging environments of basements and crawl spaces. A SaniDry XP is a powerful energy-efficient dehumidifier that outperforms standard household dehumidifiers by as much as 10 times while using the same amount of energy to run. The SaniDry XP can effectively cover indoor living spaces over 3000 square feet, making it well-suited for basements and crawl spaces over 40” high. 

The most important difference between a residential dehumidifier and a SaniDry commercial dehumidifier is its ease of use and automatic operation. A residential dehumidifier requires human intervention to empty the pan of collected dehumidified water. If not timely emptied the pan will overflow and the machine usually shuts off once the flow bucket is full. Since there was no sump pump present, a small condensation pump that pumps the water through a 1/2” condensate hose that runs to the outside of the basement. For this installation, we needed to drill a 1/2” hole through the foundation wall to run the hose outside.

Now the homeowner can rest assured knowing that his home is mold free and the chronic humidity in his basement has been resolved. 

Recently, I was sent to a home in Howell, NJ, to take care of an ant problem. Ants are the most common insect infestation faced by homeowners. Almost everyone, at one time or another, is bound to come across a foraging ant or two inside their home. However, if you wind up with a full-blown ant infestation and a never-ending trail of ants,  there may well be an ant nest that’s inside your home — usually in a wall or floor void. At that point, you a pest control professional should be contacted. Ant infestations can be difficult to eliminate because of the size of the colonies. Fortunately, there are professional-use treatments that quickly eliminate the queen and the rest of the colony.

As soon as I started my inspection, I immediately identified the type of ant infestation. These were odorous house ants, one of the more common ants that infest homes. Often, you’ll find them in homes after heavy rains when attempting to escape flooding of their shallow nests. Ants need water to survive, but too much water is as much of a problem as too little. Why are they odorous house ants? If you crush one of them or even just disturb or alarm them, there ants release a noticeable odor that, to me at least, smells like rotten coconuts. Also, these guys are very small ants, but what they lack in size, they make up in speed — they are fast!

Odorous ants in your home are foraging for food. Since they have a distinct preference for sweets crumbs, and water, kitchens, panties, and bathrooms are all common targets for these pests. They seek locations that are warm and close to moisture when nesting indoors — even dishwashers!  Of course, they also build nests outside and then crawl through foundation cracks or around door openings to enter the home. Because of their size, sealing all of the potential cracks and openings that ants can use is virtually impossible. Instead, to control ants, it’s best to remove their attractants. Trim back trees and shrubs away from he home, keep food tightly stored, and don’t leave out pet food for extended periods of time — you don’t want your pet food to become pest food. Also, keep your counters and floors clean and dirty dishes out of the sink. Kitchen crumbs and food residue are an ant’s best friend. 

With this infestation, I did a full interior inspection wherever the homeowner had observed ant activity and then inspected the exterior perimeter. Following the ant trail, I found the nest and how they were entering through cracks in the home’s foundation. To treat this infestation, I used a gel ant bait that I applied underneath the siding nearby the cracks. This will attract the foraging ants inside the house to leave. Also, the ants will carry the bait back to the nest where it will be distributed. This ant infestation will soon be gone. 

I was dispatched for a service call in Howell, NJ to help a homeowner who was complaining of ants traveling into her home. Upon arrival, she was at a loss as to why she had an ant problem. Upon inspection, I immediately noticed the problem. There was a garbage right next to the house. The garbage was not bagged and the can had residue from food waste. This was a major attractant for ants and other insects. You could see the procession of ants trailing into the garbage can and back towards the house.  

I informed the homeowner of the situation. She immediately had her son clean out the can and move it away from the house. She promised me that, going forward, she would properly dispose of any food debris in order to avoid attracting ants. To expedite the resolution of this ant infestation, I applied a granular bait in the area where the ants were trailing. This is a non-repellant product, so the ants will carry it back to the nest and share it with the queen and the rest of the ants. It won’t take long before the colony is killed, including the foraging ants entering her home.

Carpenter bees are solitary bees that bore holes in wood in order to lay their eggs. These large bees tend to return year after year to the same areas, reusing galleries and building new ones. Over time, their wood boring activities can cause significant property damage. 

This carpenter bee treatment for a home in involved dusting behind the fascia along the peaks of a house. We also perform exclusions, which is sealing potential access areas of infestations. Exclusions are often associated with rodents and other wildlife, but we perform exclusions with insects as well. This particular exclusion involved installing plastic mesh style ridge vent behind the fascia so that the bees are unable to nest behind it.  Ridge vents stop pests from getting behind the fascia while still allowing the attic to ventilate. It’s a great barrier to stop pests from getting into the fascia along the roofline.