Raccoons in the Attic ?

Many suburbanites see raccoons as mere pests, and others may consider this little critter a huge headache and even a potential threat. But, for those that have had raccoons in the attic, they can be real nightmares. They make a lot of noise, can cause extensive damage, and pose a health risk to your family.

Here are some basic facts about raccoon habits:

Raccoons are nocturnal, foraging for food at night and resting in the daytime

• Raccoons are scavengers and are particularly fond of garbage left by humans; however, they have been known to dunk their food in water before taking a bite. How civilized!

The hands of raccoons are similar to those of primates in that they are adequately spaced evenly, making them very agile

They do not hibernate in the winter, but they do go into a restful state and eat very little

Raccoons are typically loners, but mothers stay with their cubs from the spring births until the first winter

Raccoons are vagabonds; they will travel to follow food and shelter but will remain at places as long as they need

Here’s the catch. Note the last two points: raccoon mothers and babies stick together for about 16 weeks and they will travel and commit to a place that offers comfort. Here’s where your home comes into play—this can present a place that offers warmth, cover, and food for a raccoon mama nursing her young.

Wildlife removal, particularly when a raccoon takes up residence, is best handled by a professional. They can be difficult to evict and time is of the essence—before too much damage is done. Learn more about how we get rid of raccoons in your home in upcoming posts. And note that the springtime is when baby raccoons are born and homeowners should be particularly suspicious of noises they hear or other curious findings that may indicate a raccoon guest.

About DQ Pest Control:

DQ Pest Control is a family-owned and operated New York animal control and pest remediation 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.

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.

Fleas: More Than Just an Aggravating Pest Infestation

After a long winter, and a few more weeks to follow, most of our pets have spent a significant amount of time indoors. Many times, this means that pests may be brought into the home after your morning walk and take up residence in your home—a common one is a flea. 

Fleas are external parasites, meaning they feed off the blood of humans and animals from outside the body. They like warm blood and will go after it. They can also carry diseases. While the biting and scratching acrobatics of your pet may seem a bit funny, fleas are definitely no laughing matter.

Your vet can offer a variety of ways to deter a flea infestation for your pet—from flea collars to medications and treatments, but often these diligent parasites find a way to enter and multiply. This is a problem for both your pet and for you and your family. Not only will you notice your pet biting and scratching their skin, but you may also notice small bite marks on yourself or your children. This means there is a flea infestation and you will need professional pest remediation.

Fleas can quickly take over a space—the eggs and resulting flea larvae develop in a short amount of time. You can try some home remedies, but to ensure the problem is truly solved once and for all, you will want to contact a Long Island exterminator. Once they take care of the flea infestation, make sure you incorporate preventative measures to keep them at bay.

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.

Making Resolutions: Keep pests Out

It’s that time of year again! 2010 begins a new chapter, a fresh start, and the opportunity to make this year better than ever. Making New Year’s resolutions is a pretty standard practice of many Americans—some casually taking stock in the year before and determining in their mind what they plan to improve upon, and others making formal lists and plans. Maybe you want to get in shape or take extra initiative in your career to get that promotion. Maybe you want to improve the quality of the relationships in your life or get organized in your home.

A Nassau County exterminator can’t do much about the big resolutions for 2010—we can’t help you too much at work and we certainly can’t help with your workout routine. But we can play an instrumental role in getting your home organized and keeping it pest-free all year.

Here are some suggestions for keeping pests away this year:

• Be particularly cognizant of your kitchen habits. Keep food properly sealed and stored in cabinets and do not keep dirty dishes out or crumbs on the counter any longer than necessary.
• Do cursory checks of your floorboards from time to time. Pests, bugs, and small rodents like to hide out in nooks and crannies
• Take some time to weatherproof in the spring and fall. Look around the attic, foundation, and windows for any portals to the interior of your home.
• Consider quarterly pest control services from a trusted company.

Knowing that you have reliable pest services in place, those you perform yourself, and those scheduled with a quality pest services technician is a small but important step in improving your home maintenance tactics this year.

While the big resolutions take time to realize, taking small steps to improve your home can make you feel a whole lot better this year.