Pest Control Archives - Dugas Pest Control

Spring Season for Pests

Warm, sunny days, especially after rainfall, will bring out swarms of insects from their winter nests. These spring pests in Baton Rouge could be termites, wasps, bees, or ants – all of which can easily make their way into your home and yard. These swarms are unwelcome guests to an otherwise pleasant season. There are, how ever, ways to protect your home and yard from infestations

Common Spring Insects in Baton Rouge

Insects that come out in spring are foraging for food and seeking to mate. While this usually is taking place outdoors, keep in mind that they also could be seeking shelter and someplace to nest inside your home. Be on the lookout for:

WASPS – Wasps come in a variety of colors which include yellow, brown, red and metallic bluem and have a narrow waist and pointed abdomen. They nest in wood fibers that they have chewed into a pulp and formed a honeycombed umbrella shape.
BEES – Bees that aren’t your friendly honey making variety come yellow with black stripes. They tend to nest in piles of wood or other yard debris.
ANTS- One of the most common ants is the odorous house ant. This type of ant is ⅛ to 3/16 inch in length, known for the odor they make when crushed.
TERMITES – Termites come in shades of brown, white and black and range in sizes ⅛ of an inch to 1 inch. They have antennae and wings and can be mistaken for ants.

There are 3 types of termites known to the area:

Drywood termites. As their name implies they make their home in dry wood and need no contact with soil to live. They don’t go for moist, soft wood, instead they eat across the grain of dry, hard wood. This is very damaging and dangerous to structures. They are common to warmer, tropical climates with mild winters. Evidence of infestation includes discarded wings, feces or frass (piles of sawdust from feeding).

Eastern subterranean termites. These termites cause homeowners the most damage and also are the most common termite in North America. They are prone to swarm in late February or early March. They make mud tubes that are used as tunnels from the ground to their food source,

Formosan termites. This termite is known to be the most destructive of termites, but only found in certain locations. They usually swarm later in spring, around mid May.

Protecting your home and yard from invading pests

Below are just a few tips to discourage pests from taking up residence in your space.

Cleaning up after outdoor BBQ and other cooking as wasps and bees are looking for and are attracted to protein based foods. Leaking faucets or hoses provide a water source that attracts not only wasps and bees but termites and ants.

Patching cracks or crevices in walls, repairing broken panels or siding to discourage wasps from nesting in your walls. Keep your yard clean of heavy debris.

Ants such as odorous house ants, nest in walls and beneath carpeting. Keep organic debris such as leaves and piles of wood away from your foundation. Store leftovers in airtight containers and keep areas clean of food debris and dirty dishes. Ants are attracted to sweets as well as protein-based foods.

Springtime Pest Control with Dugas Pest Control

Even if you take all the proper preventative measures, you still may wind up with a pest infestation in your home or yard. When that happens, you can trust the team at Dugas Pest Control to give you the most reliable and comprehensive treatment in the Baton Rouge area. We’ve lived through [year] spring seasons, and in that period, we’ve mastered the art of eradicating the most common swarms and keeping more from taking their place. Want to know more? Contact us today to get started!

How Dangerous are Kissing Bugs?

Despite their name, kissing bugs are anything but romantic. These tiny pests are notorious for leaving tiny bites on people in the middle of the night – typically near the mouth, hence their nickname. While it’s unsettling enough to wake up covered in bites, are kissing bugs actually dangerous? The experts at Dugas Pest Control explain why the kissing bug is potentially dangerous and share tips that can help keep your home kissing bug-free.

What is a Kissing Bug?

Triatomine bugs – commonly called “kissing bugs”, “conenose bugs” or “vampire bugs” – are parasitic insects that feed on blood. They are oval-shaped, dark in color, and typically grow to around ½ to 1 inch in length. Though juveniles do not have wings, adults do and are capable of flying. Their most defining feature, however, is a long, prominent beak that they use for feeding.

Since kissing bugs are nocturnal, they tend to hide near sleeping humans or animals. Most stay in small nooks or crannies such as cracks in floorboards, walls, or furniture. Adults are solitary and generally do not live in large groups, though females may leave eggs behind.

Are Kissing Bugs Dangerous?

As with any blood-feeding insect, kissing bugs are dangerous. While their bites are not particularly painful, they could lead to infections or serious diseases. Triatomine bugs are most known for spreading Chagas disease, which could have chronic effects lasting a decade or more after the initial transmission.

What’s Chagas Disease?

Chagas disease is the result of a parasite called Typanosoma cruzi, which is stored in the digestive tract of kissing bugs after they feed on an infected organism. The parasite doesn’t spread while the kissing bug is actively feeding; rather, it enters the wound of the bite through feces, which the insect typically leaves behind after feeding. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Chagas disease is potentially life-threatening. Early signs of the disease include:

Body aches
Fever and fatigue
Loss of appetite or nausea
Swelling of eyelids
Swelling around the bite
Recurring headaches
Swollen glands

If you suspect you’re suffering from Chagas disease or another illness, seek medical attention immediately. Other animals may also suffer from this disease, so contact your veterinarian if you believe your pet has been bitten.

How Can You Prevent Kissing Bugs?

The last thing you want is to discover bite marks on your face first thing in the morning. Keeping triatomine bugs out of your home is the best way to protect yourself and your family from this pest. Here are some ways you can prevent kissing bugs (and other insects) from entering your home:

Seal any gaps, cracks or openings around doors, windows, or your foundation
Repair any ripped screens or broken weather stripping
Keep your landscaping tidy and remove any debris near your house or in your yard
Place landscape lights (if you have them) farther away from the base of your house
Let pets sleep indoors during the nighttime
Check sleeping areas in your home periodically for signs of bugs

What to Do if You Find One

It’s never pleasant to find a pest in your home – especially one as potentially dangerous as a kissing bug. While your initial instinct may be to squish the insect immediately, the CDC strongly recommends that you do not come into contact with the kissing bug.

Rather than squishing it, place a clear container on top of it and then, contact a pest control professional. They’ll be able to confirm the bug’s identity and inspect your home for signs of more insects.

Whether you’re worried you found a kissing bug in your home or just want to ensure your space is completely free from pests, Dugas Pest Control in Baton Rouge can help. We’ve been providing exceptional pest control services in Louisiana since 1957. Give us a call today for a free quote!

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Rats and Mice: The Scoop on Poop

Have you found what looks like mysterious tracks of dirt around your house? Take a closer look, because what you’re seeing may actually be rodent poop. Like any animal droppings, rat and mouse poop is not a pleasant sight for any homeowner. However, unlike some of these other animals, mishandling their leavings poses a particular health hazard. What does mouse poop look like? How can you clean rat droppings safely? And who can you call in Baton Rouge for comprehensive rat control services? We’ll answer all of that below.

Rat Versus Mouse Droppings

Rats and mice may both be considered the same kind of pests, but they’re very different creatures. Rats are much larger, for instance, and their droppings reflect that. They will leave waste all over the house in pellets the size of a coffee bean. Rat droppings are commonly mistaken for squirrel poop, though squirrel leavings are more rounded and lighten over time.

Compare this to mouse poop. Mice are so small that their waste is sometimes confused with cockroach poop. Both are dark and tiny, though mouse droppings are pointed at the ends like a grain of rice. You might find these dark brown grains in your silverware drawer, or behind spaces where you store food. If you do, it’s a sure sign of the presence of mice somewhere in your home. But before you address that, how can you properly clean the leavings in front of you right now?

How to Safely Clean Mouse and Rat Poop

There’s a respiratory disease called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, or just Hantavirus for short. It’s a severe respiratory disease that has similar symptoms to COVID-19, including the possibility of the patient’s lungs filling with fluid. The fatality rate is around 38%, but in the United States, there have been no cases of the disease being transferred from person to person. How does it spread, then?

Rats and mice are both known for carrying HPS. When they leave their droppings around the house, their waste contains the virus. So, if you come across a pile and sweep or vacuum it up, you’re unknowingly releasing virus particles into the air. That’s not to say that you can’t clean rodent waste from around your house, it just means that to do so requires some careful precautions.

You’ll need rubber or plastic gloves, eye goggles and a mask. Once you’re protected, spray the contaminated area with bleach or disinfectant and allow it to soak for five minutes. Once you’ve done that, you can wipe up the mess with a paper towel and throw it away. After that you can clean as you usually would, vacuuming or scrubbing depending on the location of the mess. Doing all this cleans and sanitizes your home, but it doesn’t remove the pest from your property. To do that you’ll need some professional help.

Dugas for Rodent Control

At Dugas Pest Control we’ve been controlling pests around Baton Rouge for almost a hundred years. We are familiar with all the main rodents and other pests in this part of Louisiana, and we can treat for all of them. Rats and mice, if left on their own, can damage your belongings and your house as a whole. They will tunnel through insulation and gnaw at wood and wires, increasing the risk of an electrical fire. If you’re in the Baton Rouge LA area and have a rodent infestation, we’re the ones that can get rid of it for you. Not only that, but we can implement exclusion tactics to make sure more don’t get in later. To learn more and get your free quote, contact us today!

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The Most Dangerous Ants in America

If you’ve seen ants in or near your home, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Ants are one of the most widely distributed types of insects on earth. There are more than 12,000 species of ants and they live almost everywhere on earth except for Greenland, Iceland and a few other islands.

Since they live almost everywhere, it’s inevitable that you’ll cross paths with ants sometimes. Most species aren’t hazardous to humans but some are a threat because they’re venomous or particularly aggressive. If you know which ant species to avoid, you can steer clear of danger. Want to know which ants to look out for, according to the experts at Dugas Pest Control? Read on.

The Most Dangerous Ants in America

The field ant is a very common ant species in the eastern two-thirds of the US. They typically build their nests underground or sometimes in or under rotting wood. While they’re not venomous or aggressive, they are included in this list because they’re common in much of the US and will bite you if you disturb their nest.

Despite the name, the velvet ant isn’t really an ant. It’s a fuzzy red and black-striped wasp, but the females of the species are often misidentified because they lack wings. What they have is a venomous and extremely painful sting, which has given this insect the nickname “cow-killer” in the eastern US where it lives.

There are numerous species of harvester ants in the US, many of which are relatively harmless. However, two species, the Maricopa harvester ant and Florida harvester ant are very dangerous. The Maricopa harvester ant is one of the most common ant species in Arizona and lives throughout the southwestern US as well as in Mexico. It’s believed to have the most toxic insect venom on earth. The Florida harvester ant is common from Florida to North Carolina and its venom is also extremely powerful. It’s more toxic than a cobra’s venom!

The red imported fire ant is native to South America but was accidentally introduced to the US in the 1930s and is hands down the most dangerous type of ant in America. Their venom is particularly nasty, not just causing burning and swelling of the victim’s skin but creating itchy pus-filled blisters that can last for a week or more. As if that’s not enough of a reason to steer clear of these ants, significant numbers of people stung by these ants go into anaphylactic shock. Texas A&M University estimates that 14 million people per year are stung by these insects, mostly in the southeast. More than 80 deaths due to red imported fire ant stings have been reported in the US.

How do Ants Bite?

Ants use their mandibles (jaws) to bite the skin of their target and then release formic acid – an irritating chemical – on the skin of the target. Ant bites usually cause redness, swelling and irritation. Some people are allergic to formic acid and they may experience more serious symptoms, like those that accompany an ant sting.

How do Ants Sting?

While almost all ants have mandibles to bite with, only some have stingers and venom. Fewer still have venom potent enough to be hazardous to humans.

When ants sting, they’ll lock their mandibles in the skin of their target and release formic acid like when they bite. Then they’ll rotate the rear of their body, jab their stinger into the skin and inject venom. The longer it takes to remove them, the more times the target can be stung, the more venom will be injected and the more painful it will be. Ant venom, especially fire ant venom, can also cause an allergic reaction which may include: itchiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, hives, and tightness in the chest, or difficulty breathing.

Experienced Ant Exterminators in Baton Rouge LA

Dugas Pest Control has been eliminating ants from homes and businesses in Baton Rouge LA since 1957. If you have ants in or around your home, especially if you suspect they may be fire ants, don’t wait until after you, your family, or your pet is bitten or stung. Contact us today!

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Ways to Naturally Repel Bees and Wasps

If you live in the Baton Rouge area, bugs are a part of life, particularly in the summer. And despite the heat, there are still plenty of barbecues, festivals and picnics going on outside in the summer. These outdoor events can put stinging insects and people on a collision course. Fortunately, there are several techniques that can help keep bees and wasps away, naturally. Keep reading to learn more!

Plants That Attract Wasps and Bees

Bees and wasps are attracted to many types of flowers because they’re pollinators. Here are some flowers that bees and/or wasps particularly like:

Black-eyed Susan
Honeysuckle
Lantana
Lilacs
Perennial Yarrow
Poppies
Pale Purple Coneflower
Sweet Fennel
Wisteria
Queen Anne’s Lace
Sedum
Snapdragon
Sunflowers

If you see a large number of bees and wasps flying around your home but you can’t find a nest, it may be because you have some of these plants on the property. If you have some of these plants near outdoor areas that you use often, like decks, patios or porches, consider relocating them.

Plants That Repel Wasps and Bees

Wasps and bees may be pollinators, but they’re not attracted to all plants. The scent of the following plants are strong natural repellents for bees and/or wasps:

Basil
Citronella
Geraniums
Marigolds
Peppermint
Spearmint
Thyme
Wormwood

Do you need to move any of the plants that bees and wasps are highly attracted to away from your outdoor spaces? If so, these would be excellent plants to replace them with. Even if you don’t need to replace any plants, potting a few of these near your outdoor spaces will still help keep stinging insects away.

They’re Attracted to Your Food

Barbecues, picnics, ice cream cones – eating outside is an essential part of summer. But outdoor meals and treats also attract wasps and bees. To help reduce the risk that stinging insects will ruin your outdoor dining experience:

Clean up right away after your picnic or barbecue; throw out trash and pack up leftovers.
Speaking of trash, make sure after you use a trash can that the lid is closed tightly.
Unattended drinks should be closed or covered because wasps love sugary beverages.

Bees and wasps are attracted to many plants but dislike others. Well, it’s the same thing with food. They like many types of human food but some foods and ingredients repel them, including:

Bay Leaves
Cinnamon
Cloves
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic
Sliced Cucumber
Vinegar

Since these can be found in most grocery stores and are inexpensive (often less expensive than a store-bought insect spray), they make a practical all-natural pest repellent. Just pour, slice or sprinkle them into a container and keep it near you or your outdoor space.

Make a Natural Bug Repellent with Essential Oils

The previous methods are fine for keeping stinging insects away when you’re relaxing by a patio table. If you want a pest repellent that’s more portable and less passive, you can make one using essential oils. Stinging insects are repelled by these essential oils:

Citronella oil
Clove oil
Eucalyptus oil
Geranium oil
Peppermint oil
Rosemary oil

Just combine two drops of essential oil per ounce of water and pour into a spray bottle for a portable, all-natural pest repellent.

Top Bee and Wasp Exterminators in Baton Rouge LA

There are several natural, DIY ways to keep wasps and bees away. However, these techniques may not be enough. If you’re in Southern Louisiana and you need to get rid of persistent bees and wasps on your property, call us! Our approach helps get rid of stinging insects while still being eco-friendly. Contact us for a free estimate!

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How to Avoid a Wasp Sting

While we sometimes wish we never had to deal with them, bees, wasps, and hornets aren’t leaving Baton Rouge any time soon. These insects are crucial contributors to our local ecosystems through pollination and insect regulation. As such, they’ve developed a bit of an attitude! If you disturb their business, bees and wasps, especially the latter, can dish out painful stings. Wasps in particular are capable of stinging over and over to defend their nests. Are you wondering what you can do to protect yourself from wasp stings this summer? Read on to learn from the wasp control experts at Dugas Pest Control!

Tips to Avoid Wasp Stings

If you want to successfully avoid wasp stings, the most important strategy is trying to keep them out of your yard in the first place. You can prevent wasps from showing up on your property by doing the following:

Be sure not to leave out sweet or protein-rich foods and drinks
Dispose of food in sealed bins, especially soda cans or sugary foods
Keep your lawn, plants, and trees trimmed to prevent opportunities to build hidden nests

If it’s too late and wasps have already set up shop in your yard, a different protocol becomes more important. Here are some ways to avoid stings from wasps that already live on your property:

Move slowly and cautiously around their nests to avoid drawing attention to yourself
Stay still if a wasp approaches you
Don’t try to bat the wasp away, because they will use pheromone signals to call for help
If you have to run away, do so in a straight line without waving your arms

Treating Wasp Stings

Wasps have been known to sting seemingly unprovoked. Sometimes, being in their way is enough of an offense for them to justify stinging you. If you’ve been stung, here are some ways to soothe your symptoms:

Use an ice pack or a cool rag as a cold compress
Take over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen to deal with pain
Take an antihistamine for swelling around the sting

If someone experiences nausea, faintness, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the face and mouth shortly after a wasp sting, call an ambulance. These are signs of anaphylaxis, which is a serious form of allergic reaction.

Professional Wasp Nest Removal in Baton Rouge

It’s important to never try to get rid of wasp nests on your own. Wasp nests are notorious for hosting a deceptively large number of individuals, so damaging or disrupting a wasp nest can lead to dozens of stings. Call your local wasp removal experts if you need to get rid of a nest. Our technicians at Dugas Pest Control are trained in multiple types of safe, non-toxic wasp control practices. We can remove your nests and make sure no more are built. For a free quote, reach out today!

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Pest Proof Your Backyard with These 10 Tips

Everyone is happy to be out and about enjoying the sunshine this spring here in Baton Rouge LA. Unfortunately, the combination of consistent warmth and rainfall in our climate creates a haven of resources and shelter for all kinds of regional critters. If you aren’t careful, you could allow your backyard to become a home to many kinds of pests for several different reasons. Our expert exterminators at Dugas Pest Control are here to help prevent this. Read on for advice on how to make your backyard pest-free through the summer!

10 Pest-Proofing Tips for Your Backyard

The hot and humid weather we experience for most of the year in our region creates ideal conditions for a plethora of pests. This makes it crucial to incorporate pest prevention into your maintenance routines. Here are ten tips we suggest you take to keep a pest-free backyard this year:

Trim your plants: Keeping your bushes, trees, and shrubs neat and orderly will prevent shaded resting areas for common spring and summer pests like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas.
Get rid of yard waste: Piles of yard waste or scattered scraps can provide temporary shelter or even food for insects and small animals. Clear them out to discourage pests.
Deal with standing water: Standing water serves as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and a hydration source for many other kinds of insects. Pour out or cover standing water when you find it building up in gutters, planters, buckets, tarps, or elsewhere.
Mow the lawn regularly: Mowing your lawn once a week can prevent tall grass blades from trapping standing water and housing pests.
Consider garden netting: If you have a garden, you could be unwittingly offering a food source for tiny bugs like aphids and large wildlife pests like raccoons. Garden netting can keep them from robbing your plants.
Dethatch your lawn: A thin layer of thatch can help insulate your lawn to regulate temperatures and promote healthy growth, but too much of it will suffocate your grass and offer shelter to many common lawn pests.
Keep bins sealed and distant: Several kinds of insects, rodents, and wild animals are known to break into our trash cans looking for food. Seal your bins if possible and make sure that they’re as far away from your yard and home as they can be.
Ensure proper lawn hydration: Both overwatering and underwatering can cause problems for your lawn, so ensuring a regulated supply of water can help prevent pests. This can be best attained using a sprinkler or irrigation system.
Store your firewood high and far: Woodpiles stacked against the side of homes or wooden decks are common contributors to termite infestations. Keeping a covered firewood rack at a distance from your home can prevent termites and other insects from infesting your backyard.
Look for professional pest control: An experienced technician can assess your yard for vulnerabilities that you haven’t caught to help determine the best ways to go about pest prevention for your particular property.

Pest Control for Your Backyard in Baton Rouge LA

If you’re looking for a calculated approach to pest control in your backyard in Baton Rouge, reach out to your local exterminators. At Dugas Pest Control, we train our technicians to shape their services to the individual needs of each property that they service. We pride ourselves on our holistic approach to pest control, complete with site-wide inspections, safe control and exclusion practices, and preventative maintenance to ensure that our customers never deal with pests again. Contact us today for a free quote!

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10 Interesting Facts About Spiders

Over the years, our spider exterminators have helped out many arachnophobes around the Baton Rouge LA area. While there are a few species of spiders that you should have a healthy fear of, the vast majority of spiders around us are harmless. We believe that less people would be afraid of spiders if they knew more about them, so we’ve laid out 10 fun spider facts for you to read through. We hope you leave with a new appreciation for these creatures!

10 Interesting Facts About Spiders:

They’re all over: Recent research shows that you’re very likely to be no more than 10 feet from the nearest spider at any time. There’s nothing to worry about, though—spiders would much rather hide than confront anyone.
Spiders are diverse: There are over 35,000 identified species of spiders in the world, and scientists believe that many more are yet to be discovered.
Spiders like to dance: Many male spiders’ courting practices involve an arm-waving, scuttling dance routine. The process can last for up to 50 minutes in some cases!
Male spiders are generous: Another common courtship tactic that some spiders practice is gift-giving. They will capture a small insect and wrap it in silk as an offering to a female of their liking. However, some spiders cut corners by wrapping up leaves or other junk.
Female spiders get violent: Varying by species, many female spiders will kill or eat the male spider before, during, or after copulation. The motive spurs from anything from an unsatisfactory courtship attempt to creating a source of nutrition for her future offspring.
Most spiders are harmless: All spiders are venomous, but it takes a considerable concentration of venom from a spider bite to seriously harm a human.
Spider silk is liquid: Before it is spun into a web, spider silk sits as a liquid in their spinning gland. It solidifies upon contact with the air.
Spider silk is stronger than steel: Although they seem weak, spider webs are actually 5 times stronger than steel! They are only easily broken on account of how thinly they are spun.
Silk has multiple purposes: While spider silk is most famous for its use in webs, spiders also use silk as transportation, whether walking across long stretches of it or using it to float through the air. Some spiders also build tunnel-like nests with it.
Spider muscles are strange: Unlike us, spiders can only retract their muscles, not extend them out. To push their limbs out again, spider pump a special fluid through them. It is this same fluid that some spiders utilize to jump long distances.

Expert Spider Exterminators in Baton Rouge LA

While most spiders in Baton Rouge want to leave you alone and can’t cause you any harm to begin with, there are a few spiders to watch out for around here, like the black widow and the brown recluse. Even if you’re only dealing with harmless house spiders, we understand that it can be unsettling to have them all around your home. If you need to get rid of spiders, reach out to our spider control team at Dugas Pest Control today for a free estimate!

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Types of Termites in Baton Rouge

Unfortunately, here in Baton Rouge LA, we have more than one type of termite to worry about. Termites are the most destructive pests in the country, and each species attacks our homes and businesses in different ways. Being able to identify different types of termites by their appearance and the damage that they cause will be a huge help in the event that you find evidence of their arrival on your property. To learn more about the different types of termites in Baton Rouge, read on. Our termite exterminators at Dugas Pest Control have put together some vital information that could protect your home or business down the line!

What Kinds of Termites Live in Baton Rouge?

There are a few different termite species living in our area that we have to watch for. These termites all attack from different angles and pinpoint different parts of our properties, so it’s in your best interest to learn to predict and prevent each kind. Here are the main four to watch out for:

Dampwood termites: Dampwood termites are generally found in damp and decaying wood close to the ground. They usually form small colonies, but they are the largest individual termites in Baton Rouge. You can prevent dampwood termites by ensuring that you don’t have any plumbing leaks and you aren’t leaving woodpiles out in the rain.
Drywood termites: On the flip side, drywood termites feed on dead trees, hardwood floors, structural timbers and furniture like rocking chairs and bookshelves. Because their colonies are quite small, it’s easy to overlook drywood termites until they’ve destroyed something inside your home. It’s important to use treated wood and close off any gaps leading from outside to your home’s interior to prevent them.
Formosan termites: Formosan termites originated in East Asia but has ended up becoming a major force in the southern United States. They are one of the most destructive and productive termites in the world, infamous for their ability to make quick work of large quantities of wood. Treated wood and carefully sealed structures paired with consistent monitoring will work to prevent them.
Subterranean termites: These are the termites that create the largest colonies and cause the most damage in Baton Rouge. You can tell that they’re on your property if you see mud tubes popping up in your yard. Subterranean termites are quite hard to prevent because they enter your home from under the ground.

Although they vary greatly in size, habits, and appetite, all four of these termites can cause extensive damage to different parts of your home.

Experienced Termite Exterminators

If you’ve found termites or evidence of termite damage on your property, reach out to your local termite exterminators for a wood destroying insect report. The termite control experts at Dugas Pest Control are trained and certified to perform many different termite removal tactics, and can have your entire property termite free in no time. Reach out to learn more and receive a free quote!

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Is There an Animal in the Attic?

Do you hear scratching or scurrying noises coming from your ceiling? Unusual noises are usually the first sign that animals may be living in your attic or walls, but there are other indicators as well. Without experience, it can be difficult to tell what kind of animal is in the attic and how serious the problem is. Our staff of experts at Dugas Pest Control can help with this assessment! We have seen all kinds of animals living in our customers’ homes and businesses in Baton Rouge, and we can help you remove them quickly and safely. Keep reading to learn more!

Signs of Animals in the Attic

When you believe that the sounds you’re hearing in your attic are being caused by invading wildlife, you should look for signs of animal activity all around your property to figure out who’s there, why they’ve come, and how bad the issue is. Here are some signs that you have animals in the attic:

Animal waste in your crawl spaces, behind appliances, and along walls
Insulation that has been destroyed or nested in
Scattered branches, leaves, or torn paper inside the attic or around the roof
Bite marks left by animals gnawing on your belongings or your building’s structural materials

Which Wild Animals Do I Have?

As soon as you know there are animals upstairs, it’s time to identify them so that you can handle them safely. Here are the animals that most commonly invade attics in Baton Rouge LA, along with the signs that indicate their presence:

Rats and mice: Rats and mice sometimes build nests in attics by tearing up insulation. Additionally, they need to chew on hard surfaces in our homes constantly to prevent their incisors from overgrowing. When you see these signs combined with scampering sounds, you can be sure you have rodents.
Raccoons: Raccoons can tear off your roof shingles or chew holes in your walls to get in. Because raccoons are nocturnal, you may hear loud bumps at night.
Squirrels: Squirrels sneak into our homes via roof vents or eave gaps, as opposed to raccoons, which are much more destructive. Squirrel noises tend to be lighter and more rapid than raccoon noises, so you can determine which pest is living above you by its sounds.
Birds: Birds, of course, have the most easily identifiable sounds. Nesting and droppings from nuisance birds spread filth and diseases, so it’s important to act quickly to get rid of them when you hear them.

How to Safely Remove Animals in the Attic

Keeping an eye out for wildlife activity and sealing off holes that could lead into your attic and walls is the best way to prevent wildlife problems. However, if wild animals have already established their nests inside your attic, the safest and most effective way to get rid of them is to hire a professional critter control company. At Dugas Pest Control, we train our technicians in safe and humane removal tactics. We also provide complete service reports to our customers to help them identify and stop similar issues from arising in the future. Contact us today for a free quote!

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