Advantage Termite & Pest Solutions Blog

Do you think that your dog or cat may have ticks or fleas? If you aren’t already experiencing warmer weather, Spring and Summer are just right around the corner. Regardless of the season though, if your pet spends any kind of time outdoors, they could be at risk of getting ticks or fleas. Here are some more and less obvious ways that you can check your pets for ticks and fleas.   1) Check for Signs of Itching One of the most obvious signs that your pet could have ticks or fleas is they are itching. Having ticks or fleas biting at and crawling on your pet’s skin causes itchiness and irritation. This will lead your pet to scratch themselves incessantly, and even biting at or around the points of irritation. If you notice that your pet is excessively biting, gnawing, nibbling, or scratching themselves, there is a good chance that...

Have you ever woken up to find that your trash cans are flipped over, and garbage scattered around your yard? How about finding that your bird feeders are cracked open or that your plants are torn up and dismantled. If that’s the case, you may have a raccoon problem. Raccoons often come out of their dwelling in search of food in trash cans. They aren’t afraid to invade urban and suburban neighborhoods and homes for any scraps of food that you may have at the bottom of the bin. If you aren’t sure if you are getting invaded by raccoons or if it could potentially be another creature in your neighborhood, here are some common signs of a raccoon infestation. 1) Flipped Trash Cans Raccoons aren’t picky when it comes to food that is available. One of the first tell-tale signs that you may have a raccoon infestation is if you...

Spiders are resilient creatures; they can live either inside or out in the cold weather. All spiders need to survive in the cold winter months is some type of shelter. When the weather begins to turn cold, an outdoor spider starts producing antifreeze in its body. This antifreeze allows the spider to lower the freezing point of its body keeping it from the cold. Once the spider begins producing the antifreeze in its system, it can look for hiding places where they will not get disturbed. These hiding places include: Under rocks or timbers, In the peeling bark of trees. Small pockets in the ground. Wood piles. Leaf debris. Under lawn ornaments. Under the covers for external air conditioner units or shrubbery. The opportunities for spiders to take shelter outside is enormous. As long as the area provides shelter from the cold and there are not a lot of disturbances, it will give...

Nothing gladdens the heart like the approach of the holiday season. There are many delights in the coming festivities, from decorating to entertaining. However, if you are not educated in the inspection of your holiday trees for bothersome pests, you may be doing more entertaining than you desire. Keep your home pest free by following these helpful guidelines. Proceed with Care The holidays can prove to be some of the most hectic times of the year. Rushing may grant you some moments here and there, yet add untold hours of ridding your home of a pest invasion. In order to win this battle, you must slow down and become intentional at the onset. Upon arrival, isolate your tree outdoors. Then try some of these simple, effective methods for inspecting your tree: Know What You’re Looking for- Educate yourself on the insects that most often inhabit coniferous trees. Look up pictures of...

For most of us, the thought of fall brings to mind images of crisp mornings, bright blue days and brisk evenings. Bring out the hoodies and warm up the hot chocolate for gatherings against backdrops of bright hues of red, orange, and gold. The trouble is, we aren’t the only ones that like to enjoy drawing around the warmth of a glowing fire or a toasty room enjoying a great football game. There are other creatures also drawn to the comforts of heat as the seasons change. When trying to guard against unwelcome guests, it is best to know as much about their habits as possible. Which is better, a warm fall or a cold fall? Let’s look at how temperature affects the habits of many common pests. It’s All About Warmth No matter the species, some basic needs tend to extend across most living things. One of those common elements...