INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Pest Control
SPONSORED CONTENT
SHORT-CIRCUITING PESTS IN 2014
by Gerald S. Wegner, Ph.D., B.C.E., Staff Entomologist and Technical Director
Varment Guard Environmental Services, Inc.
I
t’s difficult to think about warm weather
pests when we are surrounded by snow
and ice and the wind chill factor is in single
digits. Actually, now is the time for wise
homeowners to plan ahead for spring and
summer pest problems, as well as potential
wintertime pest activity. Let’s have a look at
some situations we can address right now to
defuse pest “explosions” later on:
LANDSCAPING
As homeowners, we often enjoy dressing
up the yard with a variety of flowering
ornamentals aesthetically arranged in
planting beds and around the foundation
of the house. Naturally, we like to annually
spread a layer of mulch to further enhance
the appearance of our premises by covering
bare soil and retaining moisture around the
more sensitive plantings. Unfortunately, those
annual deposits of mulch tend to add inches
of warm, moist, decaying organic material
close to the house. These conditions are “pest
heaven” to termites, earwigs, ants, millipedes,
centipedes, pillbugs, sowbugs, spiders, mice,
rats, chipmunks and many other pests.
If we have allowed ivy, groundcover,
flowers or shrubbery to grow in
direct contact with the foundation,
we have unknowingly created
the ideal pest harborage as well as a
protected entryway to the house.
Imagine how easily bugs can find their way
into wall voids, basements and crawlspaces
through weep holes in brick veneer, missing
mortar joints between cement block or under
siding along the sill plate.
Consider these tips for discouraging pests
from sneaking into your house:
1. Maintain a thin layer of mulch on
planting beds but not directly against the
foundation. This practice can be further
enhanced by not overwatering plants and
mulch. Beware of irrigation systems that
regularly create wet spots on walls, siding
and wood trim.
2. Keep the soil grade at least a few inches
below the lowest course of siding (i.e.,
below sill plate level). Soil holds moisture
and allows pests to enter behind siding
undetected.
WE
KEEP 25off
THE PESTS
OUT
$
initial pest,
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termite initial service
exp
12/28/14.
new residential customers only.
not valid with any other offer.
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3. Avoid growing ivy, ground cover and
other low, dense vegetation close to the
foundation. Again, moisture retention and
cover are the pests’ ideal habitat.
4. Keep shrubs trimmed at least one foot
away from walls. This is an important step
to prevent pest-bridging from foliage to
house surfaces.
5. Prune tree canopies several feet from
siding, roofing and gutters. Spiders,
earwigs, ants, etc