Pest Library

Many people view bed bug infestations as something that can’t possibly happen to them! But, the truth is over the past several decades, bed bugs have made a huge comeback and have become common household pests. They hitchhike on people or in their belongings and find their way into our houses, make themselves at home, and feed our blood as we sleep. The bed bug’s diet consists solely of blood from warm-blooded animals, with people being their preferred hosts. Since we are their favorite food source, it only makes sense that bed bugs live indoors with people. Houses, apartment buildings, schools, airports, hotels, hospitals, and dormitories are common places to find bed bugs.

Bed bugs may be small, but they are fairly easy to identify if you have an idea of what they look like. Bed bugs have flat, oval bodies, six legs, short antennae, and are wingless. They are reddish-brown before feeding; after feeding, they turn a deep red and their body shifts into a cigar-like shape. Knowing what a bed bug looks like is only half the battle; you also need to know where they like to hang out in your home. Bed bugs are primarily nocturnal and, during the day, fit their flat bodies into tight spaces. Some of their favorite hideouts include the seams of mattresses, cracks in wooden furniture, behind trim or baseboards, in upholstered furniture, and behind wall voids. While bed bugs like to make themselves at home in bedrooms to have easy access to us as we sleep, they will migrate throughout your home as the infestation grows.

At your first clue that bed bugs are in your Cleveland home, it is vital that you immediately reach out to a professional. At Avenger Pest Control, we will quickly come to your aid and provide the bed bug control services necessary to eliminate these pests. Also, use the following tips to help prevent a bed bug infestation:

• Regularly and thoroughly vacuum your floors, carpets, and upholstered furniture.
• Regularly wash your family’s bedding, inspecting the mattresses for bed bugs in the process.
• Place bed bug-proof covers on mattresses and box springs in your home.
• When traveling, always check your overnight accommodations for bed bugs before bringing your personal belongings inside. Upon returning home, immediately wash and dry all clothing taken and clean out and sanitize suitcases and bags before storing them away.

Cockroaches are frequent visitors to our Ohio yards and homes. They are scavenging insects that feed on almost anything, including the same foods we do, which is why they are so common inside our homes and businesses. The following cockroaches are most common in our area:

• American cockroach: The American cockroach is the largest roach to invade structures. Along with their size, the “figure-8” shape found on the top of their heads is their most identifying feature.
• German cockroach: The most common cockroach to find in our homes, the German cockroach prefers to live inside homes and businesses, taking advantage of the food and warm shelter that man-made structures provide.
• Pennsylvania wood roach: These cockroaches prefer to live and breed outdoors and rarely become a problem indoors. They are most common on properties with wooded areas and woodpiles. These roaches are attracted to light and often find their way to our properties by outdoor lights or lights they notice through windows and doors.

Cockroaches are unsavory pests and are never welcome in our homes. Discovering these pests in your house should never cause you embarrassment, as these insects can find their way into or be brought into any of our Ohio homes or businesses. However, once their presence is known, you need to take quick action to eliminate them. Cockroaches carry and spread bacteria, viruses, parasites, and allergens that cause illness, allergies, and even asthma attacks. Never ignore a cockroach infestation; reach out to a professional at the first sign of a problem with these pests.

At Avenger Pest Control, we will quickly come to your aid and provide the cockroach control and prevention services necessary to eliminate cockroaches and keep them from returning. Also, use the following tips to help prevent cockroaches from taking over your Cleveland, Ohio property.

• Maintain a high level of sanitation in your house, especially in kitchens and bathrooms where cockroaches tend to congregate.
• Store your food properly in the fridge or containers with airtight lids. Never store food on tables or counters.
• Reduce a cockroach’s access to water or humid living conditions by repairing leaky pipes and fixtures, ensuring bathrooms and kitchens have good ventilation, and using dehumidifiers to reduce excess moisture in your home.
• Seal openings in your home’s exterior that may allow cockroaches to find a way inside.
• Always inspect things like bags, boxes, furniture, and appliances for hitchhiking cockroaches before bringing those items into your home.

Many rodents live worldwide, and most cause us no issues as they live outside, well away from people in deserts, jungles, and wooded areas. However, a few have made a name for themselves as household pests after learning that people and our property provide them with their basic needs. The mouse and rat are two rodents that most people are well acquainted with and want to avoid finding in their homes. Both mice and rats are considered commensal rodents, which means they want to “share our table.” Unfortunately, the relationship between people and rodents is one-sided. We may benefit them, but rodents do not benefit us; in fact, rodents are best labeled as dangerous and destructive.

Rodents are so successful because they have a desire to survive and thrive. They have a very good sense of smell, can problem solve, and have a fast reproduction rate- those three things combined make them a tricky pest to avoid and prevent. Our yards often provide rodents with suitable food and shelter, and when living outside near our homes, it is only a matter of time before these curious creatures move indoors. Poor weather conditions and a lack of food drive rodents indoors. Inside our homes, rodents cause many problems, including structural damage, contaminating food, creating unpleasant odors, and spreading diseases and parasites. Having rodents in your home even for one day, is one day too many!

If rodents have taken a liking to your property, reach out to us at Avenger Pest Control, we will quickly come to your aid and provide the services necessary to eliminate these pests. As well as our professional rodent control services, use the following tips to help prevent rodents from taking over your property.

• Place all trash bags in garbage cans with locking lids. Make sure garbage is removed from your property each week.
• Remove leaf litter, fallen trees, brush piles, and other yard debris that provides harborage spots for rodents.
• Regularly inspect your home’s exterior, sealing any openings that have developed in the foundation, exterior walls, or roofline.
• Remove excess clutter from your home that could hide nesting rodents.
• Store perishables in the fridge and dry goods in hard-sided containers with air-tight lids to keep your family’s food out of the reach of the rodent’s paws.