Long Island Ant Exterminator

 Steps to make your Nassau County, Long Island residence an ant-free home

 Prevention tips to get rid of ants - Ant Exterminator Long Island, NY

If you have never encountered ants in your Long Island home or place of business, count yourself among the fortunate few.  However, if you are like most Nassau County, Long Island homeowners, you have fought your fair share of battles against this troublesome pest – whether it is a colony of carpenter ants nesting in a wall or a procession of house ants walking across your kitchen counter.

Carpenter Ant Exterminating

In the United States, ants are the number one nuisance pest. With more than seven hundred species of ants occurring in the country and more than twenty types known to infest homes and other structures, it is not surprising that so many people report having issues with ants. However, there are some simple steps that Nassau County, Long Island homeowners can take to reduce the chances of accidentally inviting ants into their homes.

1. Ant hangouts

It is probably not shocking to hear that ants most often infest kitchens. Kitchens are full of food and water, which attract ants as well as other pests such as mice and cockroaches. Ants may also be found in garages, bathrooms, bedrooms, living rooms, basements, inside walls, and in or around air conditioning and heating units.

2. Eliminating sources of water

Decreasing moisture levels and standing water around your Long Island residence can go a long way to help prevent ant infestations. Fix leaky pipes, and routinely check under kitchen and bathroom sinks for areas of moisture. Use dehumidifiers in damp basements, crawl spaces, and attics. Make sure that gutters and gutter leaders are working properly, so that water flows away from the home’s foundation.

3. Eliminating sources of food

Keeping the kitchen clean will help prevent ants from coming indoors. Wiping down counters and sweeping floors regularly will get rid of crumbs and residue from spills. Refrigerate ripe fruit and store food in airtight pest-proof containers. Sticky jars, particularly any containing honey, syrup, soda, or other sweets need to be wiped down. Lastly, use a lid on garbage cans and get rid of trash regularly.

4. Pet food

 Dogs, cats, and other pets can incidentally invite ants into your Nassau County home. Pet food and water bowls attract pests. Therefore, pets should be fed and then the food bowls should be removed from the floor. Store pet food in airtight sealed plastic containers rather than the paper bags they usually come in, which can be easily accessed by ants, mice, and other pests. Inspect doggie doors and cat doors to assure that pests can not enter your Long Island home through them. Keep in mind, that ants can enter through even the smallest openings.

5. Eliminate entry points

 Inspect the outside of your Nassau County, Long Island home for potential pest entry points. Trees and shrubs should be pruned away from your house, as branches can transport ants and other pests, including wildlife onto your home. Cracks and crevices on the outside of the home should be sealed with silicone caulk, paying special attention to areas where utility pipes and wires enter.

6. Do not do it alone

Without the proper training, pesticides, and pest control equipment, getting rid of ants in Nassau County can be an uphill battle. What's worse, an ant infestation can continue to grow if it is not properly exterminated. Some ant species, like carpenter ants, can cause serious property damage and others can pose health risks to your family. Even ant species that are considered nuisance pests, like odorous house ants can contaminate food. Pest control Long Island ant exterminating professionals from DQ Pest Control can resolve any ant control problem.

So if you do find ants in your Long Island home, contact a licensed Nassau County ant exterminator from DQ pest control. Our exterminating Nassau County team will be able to identify the ant species, ascertain likely entry points, and determine an effective pest control treatment plan.

Rabid Raccoon found in Nassau County, Long Island, NY

Local animal trapper says animals get a bad rap, but the county says to be alert for rabid raccoons on Long Island.

Nassau County health officials have asked residents to be on the lookout for unusual behavior in raccoons after one in Nassau County was found to have rabies. Following the recent finding of a rabid raccoon in Nassau County, health officials have advised the public to be on the lookout for sickly raccoons.

The Nassau Health Department announced Thursday that an animal collected in Hicksville by a wildlife trapper and submitted to the state for analysis tested positive for rabies, the first confirmed case of the disease on Long Island since 2007.

On Friday evening, Suffolk Health Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken ordered an increase in the countywide rabies-watch program, particularly along the county border in Babylon and Huntington. Residents of those towns have been asked to report “abnormally acting raccoons” and dead raccoons. Dead raccoons should be discarded in the garbage, but health officials warned that people and pets should have no direct contact with dead or dying animals. The county recommends using a shovel, wearing rubber gloves, and double-bagging the carcass.

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, usually transmitted through a bite from a rabid animal. The virus can also be transferred from the saliva of a rabid animal through open cuts or skin lesions.

Suffolk County residents have been asked to report raccoons that come into contact with people or pets to the county Department of Health Services. The county has also asked that no one, including trappers and nuisance wildlife rehabilitators, transport or relocate any wild animals to help prevent the possible spread of the rabies virus.

The virus, usually transmitted through a bite from a rabid animal, infects the central nervous system. The virus can also be transferred from the saliva of a rabid animal through open cuts or skin lesions.

Dell Cullum, an East Hampton wildlife trapper, said that they are already experiencing a thinning of the raccoon population on the east end of Long Island due to a widespread outbreak of distemper over the past couple of years. Raccoons can contract feline or canine distemper, though distemper is not transferable to humans.

“There is no cure, and the raccoons die after a short period of time. However, before death, they will have seizures that resemble what people think are signs of rabies,” like chattering teeth, Mr. Cullum said. He called the latest news unfortunate for the animals. “It’s a shame, as these critters get a bad enough rap.”

Animals most associated with the rabies virus are skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and bats. Mr. Cullum said, though, that feral cat populations were more likely to be infected by rabies. “I’d worry more about them than a raccoon,” he said.

Excessive drooling, aggression, fearfulness, and other uncommon behavior are signs of rabies. On the East End, however, abnormal behavior can be challenging to pinpoint because, Mr. Cullum said, raccoons here are no longer strictly nocturnal. “Due to the abundance of trash and its accessibility day and night, the raccoon finds it safe to forage day or night,” he said, noting that he gets many calls about raccoons seen during daylight hours.

He said that the best way to tell if a raccoon is sick with distemper or rabies is disorientation. “Most commonly, the sick animal will walk in circles, stumble, or show difficulty using their back legs . . . this looks terrifying; however, at this point, they are usually very close to death.” Mr. Cullum recommended videotaping a suspicious raccoon and sending the tape to the health department.

Raccoon Removal in Long Island

Raccoons are nuisance animals that can become aggressive and spread disease to humans and pets. They are active year-round but can be most destructive in late winter and early Spring as they seek nesting or denning areas to birth their young.

Raccoon Description

• Raccoons are stocky with short front legs and long back legs.
• Adults are 20 to 30 inches long and weigh 10 to 35 pounds.
• They have grayish-black fur, rounded ears, and a distinguishing black “mask” over the eyes.
• They are very furry with a striped tail, having alternating light and dark rings.
• These mammals are widespread throughout the United States.

Raccoon Behavior

• Raccoons are brilliant. According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, studies have shown that these mammals can remember solving tasks for up to three years.
• Raccoons are nocturnal animals and are active year-round.
• They make their homes:
  – Natural dens – in wooded areas along streams, lakes, marshes, swamps, and farmland in hollow trees, ground burrows, brush piles, or rock.
  – In cities/suburbs – in backyards, beneath decks, or in outbuildings, such as sheds, barns, or abandoned buildings.
• – In houses – in attics, chimneys, and the spaces beneath the home or porch.

• Like many wildlife, raccoons have their young in the Spring, generally having. litters of 3 to 6 babies, or “kits.”
• The kits stay with their mother for the first year, then begin to leave as newborns are born the following Spring.
• They are omnivorous, eating just about anything. Preferred food includes:
  – Plants: fruits, plums, gooseberries, blackberries, blueberries, dogwood berries, wild cherries, currants, grapes, apples, hawthorns, acorns, hazelnuts, and beechnuts, corn, grains.
  – Animals: crayfish, clams, fish, frogs, snails, insects, turtles, rabbits, muskrats, eggs and young of ground-nesting birds, turtle eggs.
  – Human foods: garden fruits, nuts, vegetables, outdoor pet food, garbage and compost scavenging, bird feeder grains.
• To feed, raccoons use the well-developed sensory nerves on their paws to feel their food and remove unwanted parts.

Raccoon Damage & Disease

Raccoons can cause a great deal of damage to homes and yards and be threatening to human health, including:

• In gardens and yards – Raccoons will eat garden vegetables and fruit; they will raid trash cans and eat pet food left outside.
• To home exteriors – Raccoons will rip off shingles, fascia boards, rooftop ventilators, and crawlspace doors to get into the home (particularly attic and crawlspace) to nest.
• To home interiors – They will use insulation for nesting and urinate and leave feces in the areas they den, leaving parasites and foul odors.
• To people and pets – Raccoons carry diseases and parasites. They can spread rabies as well as the raccoon roundworm to people. Rabies is deadly, and raccoon roundworms can cause serious problems or disabilities, particularly to young children. Raccoons can also transmit canine distemper and parvovirus to dogs.

Raccoon Removal in Nassau County, New York

Raccoons are adorable animals.  Nevertheless, they’re less than cute should they become occupants of your attic in Nassau County, Long Island. In this situation, the critters are pests and need to be removed.  Raccoons are wild animals that will do damage to your home as well as damage the landscaping. They can also bring unwanted parasites, such as fleas, into your house.  Raccoons carry diseases, such as rabies and leptospirosis, which can be given to your own pets. So, they must be humanely trapped by Nassau County Pest Control Professionals.

A Licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator will identify how the raccoons are entering your home in Nassau County, Long Island. If you plan to remove the raccoons yourself, you need to be aware of the laws concerning raccoon removal in New York.  In New York State, it is illegal for a homeowner to trap and relocate wildlife under New York State Environmental Conservation Law 11-0511.  Whether you have raccoons in the attic, fireplace, chimney, or under your deck, you need to hire a licensed pest control trapper to remove the raccoons from your premises. Should your home or garage become inhabited by raccoons in the Spring, chances are the unwanted visitor is a pregnant female raccoon.  Therefore, it is imperative that the wildlife trapper search for raccoon pups when doing a Long Island raccoon removal from your premises in the Spring.   If raccoon pups are present, it may become necessary for the pest control experts to cut open a ceiling or a wall to remove them.

Our animal control experts have found repellents such as Critter Ridder and Shake Away Animal Repellant to be ineffective when it comes to getting rid of raccoons.  Mothballs, ammonia, bleach, coyote urine, loud radios, and ultrasonic high-pitch sound emitting devices are ineffective when removing raccoons from an attic.  There is no quick fix or magic spray when it comes to raccoon control and wildlife removal from your home in Nassau County.  Therefore, you must hire a licensed wildlife trapper to remove the raccoons from your home in Nassau County, Long Island.  At DQ Pest Control, our pest control specialists have the necessary equipment, skills, and expertise to remove rabies vector animals, such as raccoons.

Raccoons digging up the lawn

If animals are digging up your lawn in the Fall, it is being done by raccoons and or skunks in search of grubs. You will need to hire a licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator to trap these animals. Contact DQ Pest Control wildlife removal services for Long Island raccoon removal. The animal removal process is the first step in the process of saving your lawn. The following year, you will need to control the grubs in your yard to prevent raccoons and skunks from digging up the sod again.

Stop Grubs In Your Lawn

White grubs can be serious lawn pests. Knowing when to control them saves you time and money.  If your grass turns brown and pulls up quickly in July and August, or if you notice a lot of critters such as skunks or raccoons tearing up your lawn, your grass may be infested with grubs. White grubs are the larvae of Japanese beetles, June beetles, or masked chafer beetles. They cause damage to lawns by feeding on the roots of the grass.  Get rid of the grubs, and the raccoons and skunks will stop digging up your lawn.

Identifying the Pest

Grubs are milky white with a brownish head. They typically curl into a “C” shape when disturbed. Depending on the species, they may have a 1-year or a 3-year life cycle. Annual white grubs (larvae of masked chafer beetles or Japanese beetles) begin their life cycle in mid-to-late summer, proliferate, and do most of their feeding in late summer. Larvae of June beetles take 3 years to complete their life cycle, so damage from them may appear in lawns in spring, summer, or Fall.

When to Control Grubs – Nassau County Exterminator

Controls are most effective on immature grubs. For most species and locations, July or August is the prime time to treat with an insecticide. However, because grub populations vary from year to year, you may be able to save the cost of treatment if you first sample your lawn to estimate how many grubs are present. Dig up several pieces of sod about a foot square. If you find five or fewer grubs per square foot, you need not apply grub control. The lawn will withstand the amount of feeding these few grubs do. If 10 or more grubs are present, treat your lawn for grubs. If the average count is between five and 10, whether or not to control depends on the health of your grass, your tolerance for damage to the lawn, and the presence of natural controls.

Natural Grub Controls – Nassau County Pest Control

Milky spore is a natural bacterium that can effectively control Japanese beetle grubs, but it usually takes several years for it to become established in the soil. It requires some grubs in the ground to live on, so don’t use it in combination with chemical grub controls. Milky spore is ineffective on other types of grubs.

Beneficial nematodes are microscopic worms that live in the soil. They seek out grubs, and after entering their bodies, release bacteria that kill the grubs. The two significant types of insect parasitic nematodes are Steinernema spp. and Heterorhabditis spp. The nematodes are applied as a live product, so make sure if you use them that they have been handled carefully to keep them alive and that their shelf life has not expired. These nematodes are effective on all types of grubs in the soil.

Weather and irrigation practices can work in your favor to control grubs, too. Grub populations are usually highest when soil conditions are consistently moist. Many grubs will not survive in dry years or if you withhold irrigation water during hot summer months. This strategy may work well for bluegrass lawns that recover well from summer dormancy.

Chemical Grub Controls

Apply curative chemical grub controls at the correct time when grubs are small and actively feeding near the soil surface. This is usually from early July until mid-August. Chemicals labeled for curative control are carbaryl, halofenozide, and imidacloprid.

Because grub populations vary so much from year to year, preventative chemical controls are seldom justified. But if your lawn has been attacked by grubs consistently, a preventative insecticide application in late May or June may be warranted. Imidacloprid and halofenozide provide extended, preventive grub control.

Water in chemical controls moves the chemical into the soil, where it can act on the grubs. Watering the lawn after chemical application moves the product down to the thatch layer and stimulates the grubs to move upward in the soil, closer to the chemical.

Spring is Finally Here ! Welcome, Green Leaves, Tulips, and ... Raccoons ?

The new season is upon us and there’s nothing like springtime in New York. The flowers begin to bloom, the trees get their leaves back, and the air is pleasant for a stroll—the crispness of the cooler months with the sunshine’s promise of warmer weeks to come. It’s great! We’ve been waiting since October!

But, so have others… like raccoon families, particularly mamas. They are ready for the new spring arrivals, and the last item on the “to-do” list is to make a nest. And guess what? Your attic looks pretty appealing.

There are a few reasons this becomes a problem in spring and there are a number of problems, aside from the obvious, with a raccoon guest. Because this issue is particularly dire and pervasive, I will spend some time over the next month or so talking about raccoon habits—why they do what they do—and what can be done about it—why we do what we do. 

Do you have any raccoon stories you’d like to share? If so, we’d love to hear about your experiences. Post a comment and let us know what happened. Maybe you’ll have just the information someone needs! What damages did you see? How did you solve the problem?

As things warm up outside, be on the lookout for more posts about raccoons here: about their habits, how to detect a problem, and what to do if you have one. And feel free to ask us questions and tell us your stories!                

About DQ Pest Control:  

DQ Pest Control is a family-owned and operated New York animal control and wildlife removal company serving the New York metropolitan area and Long Island. Specialist David Quinn is a New York exterminator with many years of experience in the family business.

You Won't Need Luck With Professional Pest Control Services

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner! With a little luck of the Irish, spring will soon follow. This holiday features widespread celebrations, and the history of the man and events are steeped in folklore and whimsy.

Some things that we think are interesting:

• St. Patrick is known for driving the snakes out of Ireland. History will tell us that this has more to do with geography and the Ice Age, but we have to admit our admiration for that type of wildlife control.
• We all know that the holiday is centered on the color green, be it the shamrocks, the leprechauns, or the beer, but we have a “green” streak as well. As a professional pest control company, we employ animal control methods and pest control chemicals that are environmentally conscious and safe for your family.
• The leprechauns depicted today are cute, impish little characters, but were originally a bit more sinister in Irish tales—perhaps even considered “pests.” Our service menu doesn’t include leprechaun remediation, but we’re interested in every kind of pest—those that are real, everyday problems, and those invented by folk stories.

Learn more about the facts and myths surrounding this fun holiday. And start looking forward to spring—in upcoming posts, we will be offering some tips for spring cleaning and pest control measure to take this time of year.

About DQ Pest Control:

DQ Pest Control is a family-owned and operated New York animal control and wildlife removal company serving the New York metropolitan area and Long Island. Specialist David Quinn is a New York exterminator with many years of experience in the family business.

There's Nothing Romantic About Bed Bugs: Call Barney

It’s almost Valentine’s Day and our thoughts are turning to wine and roses, snuggling with our special someone, maybe popping the question, and…bed bugs?

Yeah, that’s not the first thing that comes to mind when thoughts stray toward the bedroom, and rightly so. These nasty little pests are hard to see, cause itchy bites, and generally give most people the creeps. If you are looking for a romantic February 14^th, you may want to get any potential bed bug problem resolved with professional pest control services.

The best way to detect, and therefore implement bed bug remediation, is with a detection dog. We have Barney here at DQ Pest, and his nose is heads and tails above any other means of finding bed bugs. Consider this:

• The basset hound’s nose is quite a bit more sensitive than ours and can find small infestations before other methods can
• A detection dog has no allegiances—he sniffs out the bugs if they are there. Period.
• This method saves our customers time, money, and headaches simply by providing the earliest detection possible

Detection dogs are the preferred method of sniffing out drugs with airport security, searching for missing persons, and helping forensic scientists find evidence—even in the harshest conditions. With these stamps of approval, you know you can trust the dog’s nose to reveal your bed bug problem.

So, get some help from Barney the Detection Dog and move forward with more important matters for the most romantic day of the year. You have some shopping to do and plans to make. DQ Pest Control and Barney will make sure you have only guests you want in the bedroom.

Silverfish Infestation

Most people wouldn’t know what to call the skinny brown bugs that they find in an old box of books or in the cupboard making their way through a bag of flour. Luckily, we do. These unwelcome guests are called silverfish or firebrats on occasion, and they are, for the most part, just annoying. A silverfish infestation can become serious if the population is large enough and the infestation persists for  New York exterminators to take care of the problem before any significant damage is done.

But, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So here are some tips to avoid silverfish problems:

• Store books and fabrics in plastic, sealed containers
• Clean closets, attics, basements, and other storage areas routinely
• Vacuum carpets regularly
• Check boxes or parcels that come into your home for signs of silverfish or firebrats
• Reduce the humidity in storage areas and repair any plumbing issues

Basic cleaning and home maintenance should be enough to keep a silverfish infestation from happening in the main areas of your home. It’s the areas that go unused for long periods of time that pose the potential for a problem—a musty attic or a leaky basement, for example.

Typically, you will need to have a professional remediate the problem if you have a silverfish infestation, then you’ll need to take these steps to prevent a recurrence. Depending on the way your space is used, you may want to consider routine pest control treatments—for example, if you keep a lot of old books or operate a home office and store paperwork.

Why You Need A Professional Bed Bug Exterminating Service

Bed bugs have been a problem for landlords, hotel and motel operators, and other business owners for years.  But in recent years, because of widespread knowledge, media, and other conditions, this little pest has been brought to the attention of the public. You can have bed bugs in your home and you may not realize it until there is a bigger problem. There are bed bug remediation products available on the market, but you should be reaching for the phone to call a professional bed bug detection or pest control company when you consider the following points:

• Bed bugs are very small and hard to detect with the naked eye. They naturally head for cracks and crevices, making them hard to find from an untrained peek or even a professional inspection.
• Bed bugs can and will bite humans and pets. This can cause a pretty severe reaction, so it is important to have an inspection performed regularly or if there is any suspicion that an infestation may be occurring.
• Like many pests, bed bugs carry disease.

“Over-the-counter” remediation products include powders and fogs to kill these little menaces. There are several problems with these DIY home remedies. Primarily, there is no guarantee (and not even a reasonable likelihood) that you can entirely absolve the problem. Bed bugs have had centuries of practice at evasion and can hide out until the coast is clear. Another problem is that pesticides are poison—you want to kill the bugs without harming pets, children, or other human inhabitants. A pest control professional will know the proper steps to get rid of the problem without any issues. Finally, not only can these pesticides be dangerous for people, they can have adverse effects on your belongings, such as mattresses and other bedding that need remediation.

Trust the experts to effectively get rid of your bed bugs and keep your family safe. Here, Barney, the bed bug detection dog, helps us find bed bugs wherever they are on your property. This means of detection is nearly foolproof and 100% safe. He’s part of our family—so we know keeping your family safe and free from bed bugs is important to you.

Honesty and Efficiency in the Long Island Home Buying Process: Trust the Termite Dog

The process of purchasing a home can be a bit intimidating. It is one of the biggest investments of your life and you want to be sure that you are getting truly the home you want. Once you’ve got an accepted contract, you begin the inspection process to give yourself some peace of mind that the home is safe and sound. One of the inspections you will likely obtain is a termite inspection. Using a company that utilizes the services of a termite detection dog is the best way to ensure that there are no termite infestations or that any issues can be effectively resolved.

Why is a termite dog better than a routine inspection? In a word—honesty. The termite detection dog has no concerns with contracts, timelines, ulterior motives, or human error.  They simply sniff out the problem or confirm that none exists. Their noses, designed by Mother Nature, never fail and are believed to be more precise than advanced instrumentation or other human detection methods.

Find a New York exterminator that uses this service to have this additional layer of security in your investment. Here, Barney, the Detection Dog helps homeowners find termite problems early so that they may take care of the problem more quickly and more cost-effectively.

Think about this:

• A termite detection dog can find termites in areas that are inaccessible to their human inspector counterparts, such as inside walls.
• The dog is trained to find termites, period. There is no room for error or subjectivity.
• Finding termites before they have caused damage that would be evident to the human eye will save all parties money and headache.

The results found by a detection dog are instant, a critical piece of the puzzle when working in the real estate escrow cycle.

Dogs have been used for many years for their natural abilities and superior sense of smell. Police and law enforcement officials have been using dogs for decades to sniff out evidence, cadavers, drugs, and more. Organizations around the world have been instituted to offer the training these dogs need to become masters of their skills. Now, you have this expertise that no human technology can match to help you make wise decisions for the biggest investment of your life: your home

Cockroaches: The Ugly Truth

As the old adage goes, at least for those of us in the pest control industry, “There’s never just one cockroach.” And it is true. Cockroaches have been roaming the earth for millions of years and over that time they have adapted and changed to the conditions – no one really likes to have them around and they have responded by expediting their reproduction and battening their defenses. Cockroaches are known for carrying disease and for virtually taking over places where there is a benevolent environment. They like places that have a solid food source and can offer cracks and spaces to hide. Unfortunately, this may mean your kitchen. As we said before, you should take fast, proactive steps if you see one cockroach—because there is never just one, at least not for long. There are a number of home remedies that can be attempted with a cockroach infestation but to varying degrees of success. There are bait stations that you can put out, but this may not be a good solution if you have pets or children. There are spray poisons on the market that may work to some degree, but remember that cockroaches have something of an evolutionary advantage.

A Long Island cockroach exterminator will have more potent poisons than you can get at your local store, and they are knowledgeable about how to use them in order to keep a safe home for you and your family.

Once you get the problem resolved, you may want to investigate a little further to see why your home or business was selected by this pest. If you have sitting water somewhere or keep garbage nearby, that may hold the attraction. You’ll also want to be a little more cognizant of keeping food out on countertops and not letting dirty dishes sit for any length of time. As a final measure, you may want to take a peek around to see if there are any little cracks that may have presented as the proverbial front door for the cockroaches. But, a cockroach can slither in through the tiniest of spaces, so don’t get discouraged if you can’t find any openings.

The one thing to remember is that you should take action upon the first sight of this nasty pest. To learn more, visit The American Lung Association.

About DQ Pest Control:

DQ Pest Control is a family-owned and operated New York animal control and wildlife removal company serving the New York metropolitan area and Long Island. Specialist David Quinn is a New York exterminator with many years of experience in the family business.

Animals in the Attic Nassau County, Long Island, NY

Halloween is fast approaching and everyone is gearing up for a fun and fearless night.  The kids are getting their costumes prepared, families are carving pumpkins, and the night owls are gearing up for some scary festivities. Unfortunately, it’s also the time of year when some real scary sounds may be coming from your attic or crawlspace.

Every urban critter around will be looking for a good place to hole up for the winter. Squirrels, bats, opossums, raccoons, and others may find that your home suits them just perfectly. But these little trick-or-treaters can present big problems.

First and foremost, it’s just plain creepy to have a furry wild animal in your home.

Secondly, it can be quite dangerous. Not only can they damage your property, burrowing in the insulation or chewing on wood beams, but their droppings can harbor dangerous bacteria. Also, certain rodents and other critters may chew on wires, which is a fire hazard.

If you notice signs that you may have a house guest of the furry variety, you’ll need professional wildlife removal services to make sure you get rid of the problem and prevent it from happening again.

You will also want to contact a New York or Long Island exterminator that utilizes the most humane animal trapping techniques available—best for your family and for the animal. Bats are particularly found in attics and fireplace stacks and must be remediated by a professional bat control expert.

So have fun on Halloween, but if you hear more rattling in the attic, be sure to have a professional critter control technician take care of it.

About DQ Pest Control:

DQ Pest Control is a family-owned and operated Long Island animal control and wildlife removal company serving the New York metropolitan area and Long Island. Specialist David Quinn is a Nassau County exterminator with many years of experience in the family business.