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Winter pests in the Northeast: why you should care

Given the bad weather earlier this winter in the Northeast, you may want this season to end right now, but let’s face it: We’ve still got about another month left. If you live in places such as New York CityPhiladelphia or Boston, you may experience run-ins with certain pests during the winter – namely, bed bugscockroaches and rats. So, this winter, what kinds of pests should you be concerned about? Even during winter, pests can be a problem and you should know how to spot and identify them and know what to do about them.

Even though encountering pests is never fun, here’s the great thing – Ehrlich experts are well-trained to eliminate them, so you don’t need to lay awake at night wondering whether they’re on your property or in your home. Reach out online or call us at 888-984-0186 today for quality management of winter pests.

Bed bugs in the Northeast

Bed bug

Bed bugs are definitely notorious pests, feeding on people’s blood at night and producing anxiety and fear. Rest assured that physical medical concerns have not been documented with bed bug bites, but no one enjoys thinking about these bugs feeding on their blood. Bed bugs are located all over the U.S., including Northeast property like your home or business.

How do you know if it’s a bed bug? Bed bugs are brown to reddish brown in color and about 3/16 inches long in length. That’s less than ¼ of an inch – so they are very small – and not so great for you if you’re trying to see them.

How to tell if you have bed bugs

Given that bed bugs are small, how can you tell if your home or business might have a problem, whether in the Northeastern states or elsewhere? The tricky thing is, bed bug bites can have a similar appearance to other pest bites, so bites aren’t always a great sign that you’re dealing with a bed bug problem. Bed bug skins and spots from feces on mattresses or walls signify that an infestation could be present.

You might be wondering: What does a bed bug bite look like, then? Well, you might get small red welts or marks that can be very itchy for a period of several days. The bites can show up in lines or clusters, on arms, legs or torso areas. They can appear in very neat lines.

Do bed bugs fly?

If you’re worried about swarms of bed bugs flying around your home or business, that’s one thing you shouldn’t be concerned about. Bed bugs don’t fly. Instead, they typically stay pretty well concealed, which means they can spend time in new places for a while before you know they’re present. Bed bugs, however, are quite determined at crawling. If one apartment has a bed bug infestation, that can spread to neighboring apartments.

If you haven’t been doing so already, watch out for bed bug signs throughout the rest of the winter around your Northeast property. And if you suspect you have an infestation, contact Ehrlich right away for a bed bug inspection.

Cockroaches

The dreaded cockroach may also cause problems in your Northeast home or business during the winter. Cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia and other large Northeastern cities are the perfect areas for cockroaches. Cockroaches come in different species, such as:

  • German cockroach (Blattella germanica), which is tan to light brown in color and ½ to ⅝ inches in length

  • American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), which is reddish brown and about 1.5 to 2 inches in length

  • Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis), which is roughly one inch in length and dark brown to black in color

Cockroach

Remember that cockroach activity typically takes place during the night. During the daytime, roaches conceal themselves in places such as crevices and cracks and in areas like kitchen cabinets or pantries. Cockroaches can leave feces behind and produce an undesirable smell in your home or business, if the cockroach infestation is serious enough.

Getting rid of cockroaches

If you notice cockroaches around your property, you should do something about it immediately, before a cockroach infestation sets in. In particular, if you run a business like a restaurant, it’s important to implement cockroach control so your customers do not encounter these pests. Ehrlich experts are seasoned professionals ready to take on cockroach problems at your residential or commercial property in cities such as Pittsburgh and Newark, so reach out to us today.

Rats

Seeing insects around your property is one thing, but for some people, seeing rodents takes things up to another level of scariness. Rodents such as rats can use your property to stay warm during the winter, which is nice for them, but not so wonderful for you. Rats can transmit diseases and chew on wires (which creates a fire hazard), so they have no place in your home or business.

What do rat droppings look like?

Look out for droppings throughout the rest of this winter – they are a significant sign of rodents. Norway rat droppings may be as big as ¾ inches in length and shaped like capsules. If you see what you think are rat droppings, get in touch with a pest professional right away so they can correct any issues before they turn into a bigger problem.

Rats in the walls?

Do not trifle with rats, or any vermin for that matter. If you live in states such as Pennsylvania, New York or New Jersey and have observed any signs of rats, Ehrlich is the perfect choice to get rid of these pests and protect your home or business. Contact Ehrlich to enlist the help of our skilled experts for control of rats or any other winter pests!

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