dugaspc, Author at Dugas Pest Control - Pest Control and Exterminator Services

Using Integrated Pest Management for Commercial Pest Control

What Is IPM?

IPM is simply an abbreviation that stands for Integrated Pest Management. This process involves sound solutions and common sense for pest treatment and control in your business. These solutions involve three steps:

Inspection of your facility
Identification of specific pests
Treatment for pests

The options for treatment include removing water and food sources, sealing cracks and treating with pesticides if necessary.

Your professional pest control company will implement a program with IPM in your business facility. The use of an IPM program will help in protecting your business against quality of life, property and health threats posed by pests.

IPM for Business Customers

Your business facility is a tremendous investment. It provides you with your livelihood. Your customers and clients are the lifeblood of your business, and you need to have a positive reputation in order to increase your revenue.

Rodents or pests in your facility may affect how your customers view your company, and you. In addition, rodents and pests may pose serious health risks to your employees, and create unsafe conditions on your property. Pests are not large in stature, but they certainly affect your bottom line in a big way.

A Complete Approach to Pest Control

IPM is a more complete approach to commercial pest control that takes your unique business needs into consideration. Professionals in pest control do not treat all facilities in the same way. Whether they are removing water or food sources, sealing cracks of using pesticides if needed, IPM is all about determining the most comprehensive and effective treatment for your company’s pest problems.

Why Use IPM?

IPM is environmentally sensitive and effective in managing pests. It relies on common-sense practices to treat pest problems. IPM uses comprehensive, current information on pest life cycles and on the way pests interact with a given environment. The best methods of pest control are used to manage pests in the most effective ways, and with the least threat to people, the facility and the environment.

IPM programs use all available options for pest management, including judicious pesticide use, only when needed. IPM limits pesticide use to products that have been sourced naturally, instead of synthetically designed chemicals.

How Will an IPM Program Work?

IPM is not just one method of pest control. Instead, it involves a series of evaluations of the environment, decisions on treatment and controls to keep out further infestations.

Before treating for pests, certified pest management specialists set a threshold for action, at which point some pest control action is needed. Seeing one pest is not always indicative of a need for control. The level where pests become economic threats is integral for the guidance of future decisions about pest controls.

Pests are identified and monitored in an IPM program. Not every insect or other organism requires pest control. Some are, at best, innocuous. IPM depends on the proper identification and monitoring of pests. In this way, appropriate decisions can be made for controlling the pests. Identification and monitoring remove the chance that pesticides are used if they are not actually needed, or that the wrong type of pesticide is used.

Prevention is an Important Part of IPM Programs

IPM manages indoor and outdoor spaces so that pests do not become a threat. Once the identification, monitoring and action thresholds have indicated that pest control is needed, and preventive methods have proved ineffective, an IPM program will evaluate a proper method of control, taking into account its risk and effectiveness.

Pest controls that are effective, with less risk incurred, will be selected first. This includes targeted chemicals like pheromones that will disrupt mating, and mechanical controls, like trapping. If the pests are still not under control, pest control methods like pesticides will be used as a last resort.

Call Dugas Pest Control today to schedule a free inspection and estimate.

Why You Can’t Afford Not to Get a Termite Inspection

Dugas Pest Control provides termite treatment and extermination service in New Orleans and Baton Rouge Louisiana Termites are more common than you may realize, although they are not easily detected. That’s why it’s vital for homeowners to get termite inspections from a reputable professional. An inspection will ensure that your home remains termite-free.

Types of Termites

Termites are found in four basic types. They include:

Drywood
Dampwood
Subterranean
Formosan

Each type of termite thrives in a different kind of climate. You may feel safe from termites if you live in an area that has a cold climate, but in actuality, your home can still be at risk of harboring an infestation.

Termites eat seven days each week, at a rate of 24 hours per day. They can cause major damage to your house and to any surrounding structures. That’s just one reason termite inspections are integral to the structure and safety of your home.

Termite Signs in Your Home

The easiest signal that you have termites is when you see them for yourself. When searching for termites, you will need to search the dampest areas in your home. They are generally found near wood. Swarms of termites may also be found near windows and other areas after a rain. If you find them here, contact a pest control company to get rid of them.

Termites also create mud tunnels in areas where wood is not available to eat. If they are feeding on a wooden beam and then run into concrete, mud tunnels will be created and followed until another food source is found. These mud tunnels are often seen in foundations, if they appear at all. Tunnels are about as wide as a pencil and they are a definitive sign of termites.

Damage to wood is a common sign of termites. It may not be easily detected since the termites usually destroy inner parts of wood and markings are not always left outside. It isn’t necessary for your wood to look damaged. If the damage is severe, it may only show as blistering or darkening of the outside of the wood.

You can poke your home’s woodwork with screwdrivers to check for crumbling, if you are looking for evidence of termites. If the wood shows damage signs or crumbles, call a pest control company.

How Often Do You Need Termite Inspections Conducted in Your House?

Inspections for termites are a vitally important way to ensure that your home is safe and properly maintained. Home inspections often include termite inspections. If you have a home inspector who does not offer a termite inspection, contact a pest control company yourself.

Termite inspections should always be conducted before you purchase a home. Once this first inspection is complete, it does not mean that you will never have a termite problem in the future. Routine inspections will be able to assure you that your home is still free of termite infestations. You will also learn important information on preventing an infestation.

Contact a pest control expert to inspect your home once each year, so that it can be checked for termites or termite damage that you may not have noticed. Your inspector will check your home inside and out, including crawlspaces. Your professional may inspect your attic, as well.

Termite inspections don’t involve a lot of time. It depends on your home’s size, but usually takes about a half hour, or a bit longer. Once your inspector is finished, he will share his findings with you, and discuss necessary treatments or preventative measures you should take. Having regular inspections will ensure that your house is termite safe, until your next inspection.

Why Is Springtime So Busy for Termites in Baton Rouge?

It’s no secret that many insects become more active in the spring, after the winter cold has subsided. One of the few positive aspects of winter in Louisiana is getting a break from the bugs.

Spring Is Termite Time in Baton Rouge

When you start your spring-cleaning, you may find the evidence that pests are in your home. You’re certainly more aware of them during the spring than you are in the winter. Termites begin their swarming in the Bayou state in the months of spring. In warmer winters, activity may begin earlier in March . As the weather warms, termites continue to swarm in other areas as April goes into May.

Spring brings us thoughts of flowers and warm weather. However, for pest control companies, Spring starts their peak season. This is the time of year when insects are coming from their winter spots and mating. Some of them may try to find their way into your home. Spring is the peak time for termites to become a threat to your house and property.

In northern climates when termites may not survive the winter weather, a new colony may be started when infested wood is brought into a different location, or by a process known as division.

Division usually occurs when new food sources are located. A subcolony will be formed in order to exploit the food source. Eventually, the subcolony will produce necessary reproductive termites from younger termites – known as nymphs – and break off as their own colony.

When Do Termites Swarm in Louisiana?

In Southern Louisiana, the most commonly found termites are native termites, which swarm in daytime hours, and Formosan, which swarm near dusk. Formosan termites may be seen near porch lights or streetlights. They are rather like moths in their attraction to light, so they will enter your house through small cracks near doors and windows. You may not notice native termite swarms as much, since they do so during daytime hours, when you may be at work, and the children are in school.

Swarms should cause concern for you and your neighbors. When you see them or hear about the swarms, you should be rightfully concerned. Your property may not be infested or even in danger yet, but it’s better to make sure. Termites originally live in the ground around homes. Pest control companies are tasked with keeping termites underground, away from homes and other buildings.

Signs of Termites

Termite swarms and the wings that are shed and left behind are two of the few easily visible signs that termites are in your area. Due to this, there are many people who think that termites are only a springtime problem. However, some species of termites may remain out of sight but active throughout the year, especially if the winter is mild. In this case, there may be termites at work eating wood, just as they do during other times of year.

Most species of termites cannot crawl on open ground like the ant. Rather, they build mud tubes as travel mechanisms between the existing colony and their new food source. Mud tubes are a sign you should look for when you do a self-inspection for termites. Check for bubbling wood and paint, too. This usually makes a hollow sound when you tap it. If you see signs, you need to call in a professional even if you don’t see any signs, have your property inspected once a year.

How to Keep Termites Away from Your Home

Keeping shrubs and branches away from your house is one way to keep termites outside and away from your house. You should also seal holes and cracks near windows and doors. Eliminating moisture or standing water near the house will be helpful.

Contact a professional exterminator like Dugas Pest Control for immediate identification and eradication. Termites are stubborn pests, but they won’t stand a chance against our team.

FAQ for Commercial Pest Control

How Is Dugas Commercial Pest Management different from other commercial pest management programs?

Many companies simply use the same basic approach to pest management. They use the same products and programs for every business type and every type of facility. Dugas recognizes that your company and industry is unique as far as needs for pest control. They use individual methods for the elimination or exclusion of pests that is customized for your business and your facility.

How does Dugas help in preventing pests?

Dugas uses a comprehensive training method for our commercial pest specialists. They use an approach to pest control known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

What is IPM?

IPM is a process that utilizes common sense along with sound solutions to treat and control pests. We incorporate inspections, identification of specific pests and treatment of the facility. Options for treatment may vary between removing water and food sources and sealing cracks to using pesticide treatments if needed.

How is your commercial service different from the rest?

Dugas offers unique services that are convenient for your business. We communicate with you and your facility staff to let you know what we found on inspection, and what we are treating in follow-up visits.

What do we need from a pest management provider?

There are many pest control companies, but they are not the same. If you do your homework, you will find that:

We have a good reputation.
We are knowledgeable about specific problems experienced by businesses as compared to residential clients.
We have a specialized division for commercial pest control.
We are financially sound and have been family owned and operated since 1957.
We guarantee our work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

What Louisiana communities do you serve?

Dugas serves these parishes: Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, St. Charles, St. John, St. James, Ascension, Livingston, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, Lafourche, Jefferson, Iberville and Assumption.

Our current commercial provider has been doing a lot of spraying, but our bugs keep coming back. Can you address and correct this problem?

Some companies think that applying pesticide equals pest control. We do intensive inspections, identify your specific pests, locate areas where they might be harbored, and identify any entry points. Pesticides are used to target specific pests, and only when needed. We offer free inspections, so feel free to schedule one today.

Are your specialists professionally trained and certified?

Every Dugas commercial pest management specialist is fully trained and certified, and understands the treatments that conform to industry standards.

What if we see bugs even after you have sprayed?

It is not abnormal to see some bug activity immediately after we spray. This means the product is working on surface bugs and colonies that have been living on your premises. If you see bugs after a week to 10 days after spraying, give us a call and we will re-treat the area for free.

What are re-services?

We perform re-services between your scheduled service stops. You may be having problems with certain types of pests if you have not used a professional service for pest management before.

How do you guarantee your services?

We offer commercial customers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied with your scheduled service, call us out for a free re-service to address any issues you may still be experiencing. If you are still not happy, your payment will be promptly refunded.

Our guarantee to you: “Professional elimination of pests and termites. On time. Every time. Or it’s FREE!”

Tips for Keeping School Kids Free of Bed Bugs

Every parent knows that sending their kid to school means exposing them to colds, the flu, lice, and much more. That just seems to be a part of growing up.

What shouldn’t be considered protocol for your school kids, however, is being at risk of bringing home bed bugs. With the unfortunate news that experts are predicting an increase in bed bug problems during 2014 (link to first blog post), you need to take every precaution to make sure that your child doesn’t increase your chances. Continue reading, then, for easy tips that you can follow to keep your school kid free of bed bugs if you happen to hear of an outbreak at school.

Although bed bugs can be seen with the naked eye (they resemble tiny apple seeds), they’ve survived thousands of years by being very good at hiding. As such, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to search your kid for bed bugs the same way you might check them for lice.

Instead, when they get home, have them remove their school clothes immediately. It’s best they do this in a closed off room and definitely not the one they sleep in. Bed bugs love hiding in your clothes and then hitching a ride with another human as soon as they come in contact. In that way, school is a perfect environment for bed bugs to travel.

Once you have their clothes, wash them immediately on high heat. That temperature will be enough to kill any bed bugs that made it inside.

Tip #2 – Search Their Books and Backpack

While bed bugs are great at hiding, it’s worth looking through your child’s backpack and books if there’s been a recent outbreak at school. Take a flashlight to check every crevice of their backpack and in the seams of their books. Anywhere you could slide a credit card is a potential hiding spot for bed bugs, so don’t worry about being too careful.

Then, throw whatever you can into the dryer. This is a great reason to purchase a backpack that’s machine washable. Anything that can be put in the dryer for at least 30 minutes should be. You can also purchase portable heaters specifically designed to kill off bed bugs and their eggs.

Tip #3 – Protect Your Beds

Despite taking all the necessary precautions, it’s still possible for bed bugs to get in your home. So don’t be surprised if one morning this year you wake up to find little spots of blood on your sheets or find pellets or shed skin in your child’s bed.

First, keep in mind that bed bugs do not spread disease to us. So, although it might make our flesh crawl to imagine them feeding on our flesh, it’s not a medical emergency. Of course, if you or your loved ones are allergic, the bites will certainly be less tolerable.

Start by washing all the bedding. There’s a common misconception that bed bugs are attracted to poor hygiene. While this isn’t true, if they’re still living in the bedding, a trip through the washer and dryer will kill them off.

Next, purchase specially made bedding that will lock in any bed bugs that have already infested your mattress. This bedding will keep out further infestation and kill them inside through starvation.

If All Else Fails

Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of. In fact, in a recent study by PPMA, 76% of pest control professionals felt they were the #1 most difficult pest to control.

So don’t feel bad if your DIY methods don’t have the desired impact.

Call Dugas Pest Control today and ask about our bed bug control service, and let us worry about the bed bugs while you worry about giving your kids the best education possible.

Experts Say Bed Bug Problems Will Get Worse in 2014

Out of all the different types of pests we deal with, there’s no doubt that people get the most “creeped out” by the possibility of having bed bugs.

For those people, this news won’t come as a welcome surprise…but unfortunately pest management industry experts are predicting that bed bug problems are going to get worse in 2014!

Bed Bug Basics

Despite their cute name, bed bugs are nothing you want to share your home with, much less your bed! They’re tiny, wingless insects that can usually be seen with the naked eye.

Generally, their color is reddish-brown, and they don’t grow larger than a quarter inch. People have compared them to a small apple seed; except these small apple seeds can move and feed on your blood.

Although they don’t fly and can’t jump, bed bugs are still able to crawl very quickly. Adding to their elusiveness is the fact that they only come out at night and, during the day, take to cracks and crevices wherever they can find them.

While they will absolutely bite you and feed on your blood, bed bugs don’t spread disease. Some people are allergic to them, however, and bed bugs leave behind noticeable marks from where they’ve fed.

Making matters worse is that they can be very difficult to get rid of, especially if you try the DIY route. That’s just one of the reasons why bed bug treatment is one of our more urgent service calls.

Why are Bed bugs on the Rise in 2014?

It was 2004 when industry experts in the U.S. first noticed a dramatic rise in bedbug infestations. Well, as it turns out, it seems the little guys are planning on celebrating their 10 year anniversary. Experts across the country agree that even the record numbers we saw in 2013 will be surpassed this year.

They cite reports like the Bugs without Borders Survey, which was done in 2013 by the National Pest Management Association. It found that 98% of exterminators they spoke to confirmed that they had encountered an infestation of bed bugs. This number was up from an already scary 90% two years prior.

Read the Bugs without Borders Survey Executive Summary

3 Tips for NOT Bringing Home Bedbugs from a Holiday Trip

If you go on a trip this holiday season, you may bring home more than baked goods and presents if you aren’t careful.

You could come home with bedbugs.

They are a big problem this year and you may not even know you brought them home until they have settled in your house. This is especially true if you are traveling to one of the cities listed on the CBS Worst Cities for Bed Bugs list – which include New York, Philadelphia and Detroit as the 3 worst places!

Some people mistakenly think that they won’t have to worry about bedbugs during cold weather, but that isn’t the case. The tiny pests live in soft materials, bedding, and upholstery inside the home or hotel, where it is warm and cozy. Then, they can hitch a ride in the luggage directly to a new home.

To avoid itchy bites and red welts along with a hard-to fight infestation in your home, follow these tips:

Tip #1 – Be Careful With Your Luggage

Your luggage can be the number one vehicle for bedbugs, so start by considering the type of luggage you use when you go on a holiday vacation. Think about following these rules:

Hard-sided luggage makes it harder for bedbugs to hide in folds and crevices. Try to avoid cloth sided bags that have folds and seams everywhere.
Lighter colored bags are better because you will be able to spot the bedbugs before you take the home. They are almost impossible to see on dark luggage.
Never put your luggage on a bed, the dresser, or a closet where bedbugs can crawl right in. Instead, use the folding metal stand if provided by the hotel or place the luggage in the bathtub.
Do not put purses, camera bags, laptop cases, briefcases, or any sort of bags on the bed or floor. Bedbugs can find their way into any of these. Instead, put everything you bring in in the bathroom.
Wrap your whole suitcase in a trash bag and seal it or enclose everything in your luggage in individual sealed bags and only open them when you need them.

Knowing how to protect your luggage is step one in your defense against bedbugs.

Tip #2 – Be Aware In Your Hotel Room

When you first come into a hotel room, start by putting your luggage somewhere safe and then do your own inspection to check for bedbugs. It’s a good idea to keep a small flash light (like one of those LED model keychain flashlights) with you when you travel during the holidays.

Start by looking at the bed. You are looking for small, brown or reddish, oval shaped bugs that hide in the daylight. On the bed, check seams, piping, ruffles, and crevices for signs of the bugs or their excrement. Look between the mattress and the box spring and around the crevices of the bed frame. You also need to look in other places throughout the room where bedbugs could be hiding, like:

Behind picture frames and mirrors
Behind the headboard
Dresser drawers
Nightstands
The drapes
Upholstered furniture (especially in pleats)
Gaps in wallpaper

Bedbugs tend to favor areas close to bedding, so look in these spaces specifically.

Tip #3 – Start by putting your suitcases in the garage

When you get home from your holiday vacation, stop by putting your suitcases in the garage or on a balcony and inspect them carefully before you bring them in the home. It’s a good idea to vacuum or steam the luggage before storing and wash all of your clothes (even if you didn’t wear them) on high heat.

If you are careful and follow these tips, you should be able to enjoy your holiday trip without worrying about bringing the creepy little critters into your home when you get back.

If you have any questions at all about bed bugs, or suspect you may have a problem, call Dugas Pest Control today and request a free consultation.

What should you do if you suspect you have bedbugs?

There is something of a misperception that bedbugs only infest “dirty” houses or come from “dirty” hotel rooms or movie theaters.

The fact is, bedbugs can be a problem for anyone, no matter how careful and clean you are. You may keep a spotless household, but then your child comes home from a sleepover or you get back from a vacation or business trip, and suddenly, you have an infestation.

All it takes is just a few of the creepy little bugs hitching a ride on luggage and this can turn into a full-blown infestation in your home.

How to Know if You Have a Problem?

How do you know if you have bedbugs in the first place?

The first sign you will likely notice is the bites. They appear as small red spots that itch and usually follow a line or track across your skin.

However, bites alone aren’t sure proof. That’s because bug bites cold be attributed to other pests.

If you suspect you have bedbugs, then it is time to do a visual inspection. You will need to look for the little bugs themselves, which are very small, oval, and either brown or reddish. You also need to look for droppings, which appear as blackish spots on fabrics. There will usually be numerous droppings in one area and they smear if you try to clean them up.

There are several areas you will need to look in your home for bedbugs, and since they hide away during the day, use a flashlight to try and hunt them down. Look in the following places:

Anywhere on the bed: edges of mattress piping, under fitted sheets, plastic corner guards on box springs, underside of box springs, dust ruffle, fittings where the bed frame is put together, etc.
Fabrics like drapes or curtains, upholstered furniture, dust covers, blankets, pet beds, etc.
Wooden furniture near the bed, like nightstands or dressers as well as dresser drawers and in clothing.

You will have to inspect very closely to actually find the bedbugs since they can be hard to see. They tend to hide in the tiniest cracks and crevices, so look thoroughly before ruling them out.

If you aren’t sure, then getting the professionals to come in is a good idea. Then, you will know very quickly whether or not you are dealing with a bedbug infestation, and you will be able to get the most important help you need to get rid of the insects.

Steps for Slowing down Bedbugs

Bedbugs are very hard to eliminate, so be prepared for a long process if you try the DIY route. In fact, in most cases our customers come to us for help after trying unsuccessfully to get rid of bedbugs.

However, before you call there are a few things you can do yourself:

All fabrics need to be washed in hot water, bedbugs cannot survive the heat. You will need to wash everything that can be put in the machine, including clothes, bedding, pillows, pillow cases, drapes, etc.
On fabrics that you cannot launder, use a steam cleaner. You can do this with upholstered furniture.
Vacuum your house, including carpets and the bed. Be very meticulous with the edge of carpeting, seams on the mattress and box spring, and tufts on the bed. Always dispose of the vacuum contents in a sealed trash bag.
Locate cracks in plaster or loosened wallpaper especially close to the bed. Seal these spaces and glue down the wallpaper so that bedbugs can no longer hide there.

While these sorts of tips are good practice in trying to contain an infestation, the only real way to get rid of them is to call Dugas Pest Control today and find out more about professional bed bug removal. Our team of trained experts knows the best treatment protocols for removing bed bugs and can help end the problem once and for all.

What Should You Do if You Have Rats in the Attic?

It sounds like something that only happens in scary movies: rats and mice in the attic. Interestingly, the most common critter to enter attics is the rat, so it’s important to take any obvious signs – noise, scratching, odors – seriously.

Since rats entering attics is so common, we know a lot about how to safely trap and remove them. If you suspect that rats are making a home within your home, you need to take care of the problem quickly, as rats and mice can cause serious problems by chewing through electrical wires and be carriers of disease.

How Do I Know if there are Rats in My Attic?

Generally, people begin to suspect that there are mice or rats in the attic when they hear scratching or other noises from above. But, it’s also easy for these sounds to go unnoticed if you have a busy household. Be sure to know all the signs of a rat infestation so that you can be an informed judge if and when the time comes.

Scratching noises in the attic
Scratching noises in the walls
Skittering, clunking, squeaking noises
Rat/mice droppings
Chewed electrical wires
Chewed piping
Open holes or gaps where mice/rats may be getting in

I Have Rats in My Attic. Now What?

Once you have confirmed that there are rats in the attic, it’s time to get moving with a trap and removal program. Here are a few tactics that should NOT be used, as they are either harmful or will cause further problems.

DO NOT USE:

Poison
Mothballs
Ammonia
Ultrasonic sound emitters
Strobe lights

DO USE:

The best way to solve a rat or mouse infestation involves the following steps:

1. Seal up all holes or gaps where the rats may be getting in. Inspect your home from the ground up, and identify all areas that provide an entrance into your home. This includes vents, eave gaps, roof lines and so on. Seal up the holes using something like steel that the mice can’t chew through. For additional protection, consider adding a sealant that blocks off all air flow so that the rats aren’t attracted to your home.

2. Trap the rats using snap traps. This should only be done once the holes have been sealed off, as new rats will just keep coming in. Set the traps in areas where the rats commonly run around. Identify these heavily traveled areas by looking for paths that are covered in grease and droppings or are worn down. Set down about a dozen traps to get the job done quickly.

3. Monitor the traps and reset them. You don’t want the rats to smell up your home, so check them every day, remove the dead rats and reset the traps. You will want to repeat this step until you hear no more noises coming from the attic or walls.

4. Clean up the attic. When all the mice are gone, you’ll need to damage control. Clean up droppings, identify chewed electrical wires and pipes and remove nesting material.

When Should I Call in a Professional Rodent Exterminator?

For some people, taking care of this job is much too intense. That’s when a company like Dugas Pest Control can be especially helpful. We will handle the initial inspection, elimination and exclusion of the rats so that you can have peace of mind without the hassle. Our technicians go above and beyond to ensure that all gaps and holes are sealed and that the traveling patterns of the mice are carefully identified.

Also, rodents are notoriously smart when it comes to detecting traps and are known to become “trap shy”, thus making it easier to capture then in the beginning rather than after months of failed DIY attempts.

Additionally, we clean and sanitize the space so that you don’t have to worry about parasitic infections, diseases or mold becoming a problem down the road. We even provide a follow-up to be certain that no rats have returned and that all sealed entry points are successfully keeping out rodents.

Why Do Rodents Keep Getting Into My House?

Mice and rats can enter the home 365 days a year, but they become especially relentless in the winter when they are looking for shelter from the cool, rainy weather.

Mice and rats most commonly enter homes through cracks in the walls, floors and foundation. They are resourceful, which means if you don’t carefully inspect your home from the ground up, you could miss the very spot where they are getting in.

If you’ve continued to hear or see rodents in the home, you need to increase your prevention method. Knowing why they keep getting into the home is key.

Where are the Most Common Places that Rodents Get in Through?

Gaps in windows and ceilings
Sewer lines
Sink or bathtub drains
Cracks in walls and floors
Cracks in the foundation
Entry holes around plumbing
Entry holes around oven gas lines

When are Rodents Most Likely to Come into My Home?

Remember, rats and mice will enter homes any time of the year, but during the fall and winter is when the most infestations are seen. The temperatures start to drop, and even though the weather is still mild in Louisiana, it’s natural for warm-blooded animals to start seeking shelter as a means of survival. When a colony finds a safe, warm place to call home, they rarely leave the area. Instead, they get comfortable, running through your walls or attic, leaving droppings all over and causing ruckus by scratching and squeaking.

Additionally, rats increase in numbers quickly, and one colony can turn to over 200 members in a few short months. You can’t deny their presence by this point.

I’ve Tried to Get Rid of the Rodents, but They Keep Coming Back. Why?

We’ve heard this story from multiple clients. They use some type of extermination method, but slowly, the rats come back.

Why?

Almost always, the answer to this question is because there is some entry point that is NOT sealed up. That’s what pest companies mean when they use the phrase wildlife exclusion.

Rodents are small and have a flexible build, so they are able to slip through even the tiniest gaps and cracks. That’s why it pays to have a professional exterminator like Dugas Pest Control come to your home.

We have professionals who are trained to look for and identify entry points where wildlife is getting in. Once all of these areas have been identified, the holes need to be sealed up.

We don’t use a generalized approach, either. Instead, we implement the best solutions for sealing up the entry points based on the structure of the home or business. Generally, we use a cement or metal material to seal up the gaps since mice can’t chew threw these materials. If you haven’t been using a material that is strong and chew-resistant, it’s possible that the rodents have chewed right through it.

Also, our exterminators come back for a follow-up to ensure that all entry points are successfully keeping rodents out.

Sealing up holes and gaps is so critical to long-term protection, you shouldn’t even attempt trying to trap the rodents until you have sealed up the cracks. Otherwise, new rats and mice will just keep getting into your home, which is probably what has been going on for you. Also, when the holes are sealed up, it’s much easier to trap the rodents. There is nowhere for them to go, so your efforts are much more effective.

Prevention goes a long way in keeping all wildlife out of your home. Remember, you want to make your home look unappealing, so that includes keeping food in sealed containers and disposing of food scraps and waste as soon as possible. These scents are known for attracting animals like rodents, and it won’t be long before they are scoping out your home to see if it will be a great place to spend the fall and winter months.

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