Winter Pest Control Guide

With the snow finally melting and the temperature beginning to climb, ants will be making their way out of their nests and into the surrounding areas. New Hampshire is home to a variety of ant species, but carpenter ants are by far the most common and troublesome pest homeowners face. They play a vital role in local ecosystems by breaking down wood and promoting environmental growth, but they can cause serious damage to homes when left untreated.

Although you may see carpenter ants making their way inside your home as winter transitions into spring, you’re more likely to see flying winged ants — also known as swarmers — near windows and doors before seeing worker ants, as they usually remain inside of walls and other wooden structures. If you notice swarmers or their wings near vents, window sills, and other entrances, we recommend scheduling an ant pest control inspection as soon as possible.

In contrast to the previous section, you should always contact a professional pest control company if you see wasps around your property during spring! Although they are not always aggressive toward humans, accidentally stumbling upon a nest or attempting to handle an infestation on your own could provoke the entire colony to attack.

It’s difficult to keep wasps from creating nests on your property due to the fact that they can create nests virtually anywhere. They often nest under eaves, decks, children’s play areas, and in trees and bushes. Keep an eye out for single wasps flying around your property and, if possible, follow them from a safe distance to determine whether you have a colony on your property.

If you notice several wasps or find a nest, contact us as soon as possible to schedule a wasp pest control appointment. We use effective, eco-friendly wasp control methods that keep you and your family safe!

Fully grown ticks are approximately .125 inches in size, but they’re easily one of the most dangerous pests not just in New Hampshire, but around the country. They are known to harbor and transmit several serious diseases, Lyme disease being the most common.

Ticks take refuge in tall grasses, wooded areas, and anywhere else that allows them to attach themselves to a host — including pets. This makes it extremely important to take preventative measures both around your home and whenever you’re out enjoying the beautiful summer weather.

If you plan to hike, camp, or spend time in the outdoors, be sure to check yourself for tick bites. Some of the most common areas that ticks tend to attach themselves include the scalp, groin, armpits, and behind the ears. At home, you can keep ticks away by creating a barrier between your property and wooded areas, mowing your lawn frequently, removing leaf piles, and calling our tick control experts for a personalized plan.

Springtime showers bring beautiful flowers, and that means that you’ll start seeing bees a few weeks into spring. Although many people are concerned about finding bees on their property, the majority of bees are not aggressive and will not sting humans unless they are provoked or feel threatened.

If you find bees on your property, don’t panic or rush to spray them with pesticide. Bee populations are already declining and, while you might find yourself surprised to see bees swarming in an area of your yard, they will likely move on. If they don’t, local beekeepers are almost always willing to capture them for free!

Is there anything more annoying than swatting mosquitoes away as you’re trying to enjoy an evening barbeque with your friends? Mosquitoes are one of the most common pests in the New Hampshire area and are known to carry harmful diseases, which makes it important to prevent them from breeding in areas around your home.

The best way to prevent a mosquito infestation is to eliminate pools of standing water around your home. Kiddie pools, water bowls for pets, bird feeders, and anywhere else that holds water for several days provides mosquitoes with an opportune breeding ground. Moreover, preventing a mosquito infestation by eliminating standing water is more difficult than you might expect, as mosquitoes can lay up to 100 eggs in a quarter-sized pool of water!

If you’re looking for mosquito control give Anchor Pest Services a call. Our control methods are effective and they come with a satisfaction guarantee!

Many spider species are harmless and benefit the local ecosystem, but some in the New Hampshire area do have venomous bites. Venomous or non-venomous, spiders are most commonly found in dark, secluded areas in and around residential homes. If you’ve found spiders in your home, then they’ve found a source of food. Whether it’s your basement, garage, or a more commonly used area of your home, the presence of spiders is a reliable indication of other pests.

Instead of treating the symptom by investing in DIY spider control traps or sprays, contact our local pest control experts for a free home inspection. We’ll help you determine if any other pests have taken up residence in your home and help you find a lasting resolution as quickly as we can.

Mice, rats, and other rodents can be a nuisance for homeowners at any time of the year, but summer is when they are at their most active. Summer gardens, food scraps from outdoor events, compost piles, and firewood can all attract them to your property, putting you, your family, and your home at risk of disease and structural damage.

As is the case with other seasonal pests, the best way to solve a rodent infestation problem is to keep it from occurring in the first place. Anchor Pest Services is familiar with rodents in all of the local areas we serve, and we would be more than happy to help you come up with a plan to prevent rodents from making your home their own this summer.

Bed bugs are brown, oval-shaped insects that feed on human blood and multiply quickly. Although a bed bug infestation can occur at any time of the year, fall is when many residents find themselves needing to invest in professional bed bug treatment. In many cases, bed bugs hitch a ride home during summer vacations and are able to multiply undetected for several months. In others, they’re able to transfer from home to home as children go back to school and have more frequent home-to-home contact.

Bed bugs don’t normally pose significant health risks, but the sores their bites create can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Four of the most common signs of a bed bug infestation include:

• Shells and/or molted skins

• Small bloodstains on bedding

• Clustered red welts that itch and burn

• White eggs approximately 1 millimeter in length

Few pests alarm homeowners quite like cockroaches, and understandably so! Cockroaches often make their way through garbage, sewers, and other areas in which they can pick up bacteria and pathogens that are spread wherever they go. They can also exacerbate asthma and allergies and susceptible individuals, making it extremely important to take steps to keep them out and treat infestations as soon as they’re discovered.

Cockroaches are primarily active at night, which can make them more difficult to spot than some other pests, and the fact that they can take up residence almost anywhere only compounds the problem. If you notice any of the following signs, contact our team to schedule an inspection:

• Dark-brown egg casings

• Exoskeleton sheddings

• Dark droppings that look similar to ground coffee

• Musty odor near drains, cupboards, and other secluded spaces