Powhatan Pest control company
(Also providing pest control service to Goochland,
Amelia and Cumberland)
Call us if you have bats roosting in the attic, ants in the cupboard, raccoons in the garbage or bed bugs biting, we look forward to their defeat and your total bug free comfort. Give us a call directly or fill out the form to the right and we will get back to you right away. We will also give you a 10% extermination or pest control coupon (for first time customers only). Bed Bug Inspections are offered free of charge and commitment.
Welcome to Powhatan, VA Pest Control and elimination company for all pest troubles not only in Powhatan but also Goochland, Amelia and Cumberland. We want you to know that we are a company that regards our client’s health of the greatest importance and will not endanger your family with misapplication of pesticides. Our Pest technicians are well trained in the classroom and tested in real world applications. All Products are applied within strict EPA standards recommended for safety and effectiveness. |
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Bed Bug Company Extermination and Control Services
Bedbugs have been pests for 10,000 years or more. They were first mention in writings from ancient Greece as early as 400 BC as having a medicinal value. Moving forward centuries in time it wasn't till 1939 that a potent pesticide called DDT came to market and the bedbug nearly disappeared in developed countries from the 1940’s through to 1980’s. However, DDT was banned in 1972 because of many environmental concerns and it was found to cause cancer in humans, at the time, most people didn't even consider a bed bug resurgence because they were only a bad memory of their grandparents. When the bed bug reappeared on our shores, scientists had to scramble to find another potent insecticide or other method of extermination.
- Since the 1980’s, we have seen rapid increased rates of bedbug infestations. First, we saw infestations starting in large cities, like New York, which experts think are due to increased international travel from undeveloped nations where bedbugs have always been uncontrolled. Plus, new strains of bedbugs appeared that are resistant to many of the insecticides then being used. We have become quite the mobile society, such that moving households to other locals, used clothing stores and second-hand furniture exchange have spread the pests across the nation. Sadly, this means bedbugs are everywhere: populations have been found on seats in a theater, airplanes seats, hotels and other forms of transportation. We suggest you look before you sit down on a fabric seat anywhere on your travels from home.
- Bedbugs are extremely difficult to get rid of and we suggest seeking the help of a pest control company at first notice. We do have effective methods to clear a dwelling: heat treatment and a newer pesticide that kills these critters.
- Signs of bed bugs can start with the bites themselves maybe just a few at first then rapidly increasing. The bites are often smudged with rusty or reddish like stains- this is the bugs excrement. These smudges of stains appear also on bed sheets or mattress accompanied by yellow colored eggs and broken eggshells of hatched nymphs. The reddish-brown adult bed bug itself as well as the younger yellow nymphs are hiding somewhere in the bedroom and an experienced pest technician using a flashlight can find them or sometimes specially trained dogs will be used. If your bitten, contact us, we'll come quick to perform a free inspection and provide a written estimate for treatment.
- Our Pest Inspectors will examine all locations these blood suckers can squeeze into, such as seams along the mattress, within the box spring, in bedding, furniture nearby (they like to stay close to a food source), under wallpaper and behind baseboards. If caught early enough they may be confined to one room, but the entire living space will be checked. Unfortunately, in severe cases, the bugs will be everywhere in the home (probably even hanging out with your pets) which is why a thorough inspection is so important to a successful treatment.
- Getting Rid of Bed Bugs are best accomplished by using a heat method and/or pesticide:
- Heat method for extermination of bed bugs uses electronic heaters to raise the room temperature inside the home to a kill temperature of at least 117 but typically is raised between 135- and 145-degrees Fahrenheit. This is best properly performed by a trained pest control technician who specializes in this heat method because they need to closely monitor remote thermometers placed in all the nooks and crannies throughout the home. A heat treatment normally takes from 6 to 8 hours to complete. Not a do it yourself project: some homeowners using various methods have set their home or apartments on fire.
- Chemical treatment generally involves removing and bagging many household items that can’t be sprayed. Plus, clothing and bedding should be washed in hot water and dried with high temperatures. Depending on the degree of infestation, these steps may be overwhelming for many clients because they are time consuming and inconvenient. Often a pest control company will use a combination of heat and pesticides to bring a quick end to their client’s misery.
Termite Exterminations and Prevention
- Termite infestations are dreadful but the situation is far from hopeless: We destroy termite colonies quickly and their damage can be repaired. Termites are very quiet and mostly hidden from site unless a trained inspector points them out. They are prolific breeders and many times have been breeding unmolested for a significant amount of time when we are called into a home. In termite prone areas it’s suggested you get inspections every 6 months.
- Visible termite shelter tubes rising up from a subterranean nest is a sign of infestation. These pencil-like tubes look to be made of mud and can be seen running across the outside surface of foundation walls, up the walls inside your basement and up from the ground in the crawl space to wood support beams. Termites need to stay moist to live which is why they build the mud like tubes out of their excrement to keep their bodies safe from the drying rays of the sun and wind as they forage for food. The wider the tubes are the bigger the problem you have.
- Other signs of termite infestation are:
- If you happen to be unlucky enough to have a termite infestation where the shelter tubes are hidden within your walls a flying swarm of black insects maybe your first indication of termites. When a colony gets too large, 3 to 6 years, a swarm of fertile insects’ males and females spread out on a mating flight to find a new home in moist earth and start an offshoot colony. This is why people will often see piles of discarded wings on window sills or even dead termites if the swarm was loosed inside a home and they missed the actual flight. Termites discard their wings to enable the building of a nest within the moist earth.
- Also, little mounds of termite droppings around wooden windowsills or wood molding inside/outside of your home is a sure sign of a rampant infestation.
- We’ll inspect your home for free and provide a written estimate for treatment. We’ll check where termites live such as foundation walls, inside the crawlspace, or down in the basement and we also tap the wood along baseboards and moldings to listen for a hollow sound that suggests tunneled eaten wood.
- Treatment costs depends upon the severity of the termite infestation and how much damage has happen. Not treating the infestation timely will likely mean increasing damage to your home’s framing which far exceeds any outlay you might have to make early on to protect your property and family. Get the help of a professional Powhatan Pest Control to provide a free inspection and discover how extensive a termite infestation is.
- We will show you any infestations that may be in your home and, with your input, will develop a plan to kill the termites and repel future ones. No worries, our written estimates are firm.
Ant Exterminations and Controls
- Ants are very active during the hot dry months between July and September foraging for food and water- this is the time when they enter homes. Clients usually call us after the sprays or bait stations gotten from the home store has not done the job. Some types of Ants prefer to eat sweets, others prefer meat and still others prefer grease so it really helps to know which one you're dealing with because pesticides are geared toward specific species.
- Our no cost or commitment, pest inspection will discover what type of ant is in your home and how their entry points. knowing what type of ant tells us what type of solutions to advise for their complete demise. These pests crawl in through broken screens, open garage door, cracks in the foundation, poorly fitted windows and entry doors and unsealed penetrations where water pipes and cables enter the home. Caulk and expanding foam will, in most cases fix the entry points but bad framing around doors and windows may need a handyman to fix.
- Ants in VA that become pests are: the carpenter ant, odorous house ants, pharaoh ants and pavement ants:
- Carpenter ants don’t eat wood. They eat sweets, meats and other insects. The damage they wreak on homes are the tunnels they dig into wood to nest in. Carpenter ants are attracted to moisture damaged wood: it’s easier to chew up and spit out. They remove the chewed-up wood debris from their tunnels and piled outside the nest which is sometimes the first indication of a problem.
- Ants will build colonies where food and water are readily available so it’s important to stop the attraction. Inside the home they will live inside walls, under floors, foundations, inside rotten wood window frames and along foam insulation. Depending on species, they may build their nests outside of the home close enough to regularly forage inside the home. These species can be found nesting underneath tree stumps, wood piles, wood chips, potted plants or cracks in sidewalks.
- Treatment cost depends on type of ant in the home, how large the colony is and number of treatments needed to absolutely get rid of the ants. Afterwards, the client should consider periodic treatment to repel them from getting inside the home again.
Wildlife Removal and Prevention
- Wildlife in your home cause damage, such as the soiling of wooden flooring, insulation in the attic, within walls voids and chewed holes through roofing vents, siding and around penetrations into the home (plumbing and cables). They bring with them parasites (fleas, intestinal worms) and viruses that cause sometimes deadly respiratory disease. Powhatan Pest removal company offers a complimentary inspection to determine what animal is in your home, all entry points, offspring, what has to be done to repair damage and how to prevent the pests from returning.
- Each species of wildlife brings a different set of concerns and methods for removal prevention of returns.
- Bats, will squeeze through any gap of at least ½ inch, but can’t chew through anything. The female bats that maybe roosting in your attic have found your attic to be a safe warm place to give birth and raise their young. The males will continue to roost outside. They do drop a lot of guano and urine which rots attic framing and soils all building materials surrounding the nest. When guano dries, toxic fungal spores can be released to the atmosphere and cause lung disease in humans. Leave the removal of bats to trained pest technicians as they are carriers of rabies and can bite if trapped.
- Bat pups are born in late April to early June and the young are flightless till August. It is thought best by experts to let the mother bats care for the young until they can all fly out together. Otherwise, the young will just die in the attic or crawl down the walls of your home and either die in the walls or find a way inside your rooms. Depending on the size of the colony dozens of young bats could be dying in your attic and inner walls which in a short time would lead to a great stink.
- All the exits and entry points have to be found through observation. After the babies are able to fly, let them all fly out through a funnel made of a flexible net that can be attached to the main entry point after all other access points have been sealed. Once they are free of the flexible net funnel they won’t be able to get back in. When all the bats are gone and none can get back in, cleanup can commence.
- Nuisance and sometimes dangerous wildlife removal of squirrels, raccoons, opossums, snakes and skunks requires specific training, licensing and insurance. Very few people can safely or even want to try and remove a possibly dangerous snake or even chance a smelly skunk- this takes skill and special equipment to accomplish.
- All wildlife removals have their own set of circumstances so you really can’t get a good idea of the costs or extent of removal needs without an inspection by an experienced pest removal company. Cost estimate for removal depends on what animal, how many, and what has to be done to keep the pests out. Damage estimates often require other professionals to get involved.
Rat and Mice Exterminations and Reliable Prevention
- Rats and mice droppings are usually the first indication of a rodent problem. Mice usually leave 70 to 150 droppings a day. A massive number of droppings pretty much advertises you have a mouse. Rats will leave 40 to 50 pellets a day. Rats leave oblong shaped glossy black feces that are ½ to ¾ an inch long. Mice leave small ¼ inch feces that are smooth and pointed on each end.
- Rodents teeth never stop growing, so they chew on hard building materials to keep them manageable. Gnawed wooden baseboards, doorframes and the inside of kitchen cabinets is yet another sign of rodents in a home. Rats can chew through cinder-block, bricks, mortar, aluminum, wood, glass, vinyl and aged concrete. They can’t chew through galvanized steel flashing, strong wire mesh and steel reinforced caulks.
- Removing rodents is effective by finding all entrances into the home and closing them off with something these pests can’t chew through. Then comes the trapping of the critters and cleanup of the mess left behind, such as soiled insulation, fecal matter and nest material. Damage done to the home, if the infestation has gone on for a while, can involve several home repairs and the soiling cleanup. Because of the possible airborne pathogens involved in the cleanup of the pests' fecal matter, care must be taken to protect the cleaning technicians and the resident family.
Mosquitoes Yard Treatment Solutions
- Mosquito-borne diseases in Powhatan, Goochland, Amelia and Cumberland VA:
- West Nile virus (inflammation of the brain) is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the continental U.S. Other mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya and the dreaded new comer Zika mostly (90%) infect people in Latin America and U.S. territories but very small number of people were infected in Florida, Hawaii, Texas and recently Alabama. Heartworm is another common mosquito-borne disease which deadly to our beloved companions and there is a vaccine but some pets are still found with it. If found early on, it can be cured though not every family can afford the expensive treatments.
- Mosquitoes (most species) live within 300 feet from where there’re born which is why you can effectively control them in your yard. Mosquitoes like shady moist areas, such as within the roots of long grass, under shrubs and under leaf debris. They survive well in these areas by ingesting the sugary nectar from flowers and plants that surround them. Females will take a blood meal to produce and lay eggs. Females will lay up to 300 eggs in as little as 1 inch of water up to 3 times before they die. Dump the stagnant water in birdbaths, old tires, forgotten buckets and wheelbarrows.
- Residential control services use insecticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers and synthetic chemicals that mimic them. These insecticides are a good choice for mosquito treatment on your family’s lawn because of their low toxicity, residual and odorless impact on the environment. Cost of mosquito control depends on the size of your yard and how dense the shrubs, ivy and undergrowth are. A good service will also knock out any mosquito breeding spots.
- Should you need mosquito control in your yard for a special occasion or if these creatures make it impossible to step outside without getting so many bites you can't stop scratching, just contact Powhatan Pest Control of VA and we’ll figure out where the mosquitoes are breeding and stop it.
Tick Yard Treatment and Control Solutions
- 4 types of ticks are regularly found in Virginia Black legged or Deer Tick, Lone Star Tick, American Dog Tick and Brown Dog Tick. The only tick that does not spread disease to humans by their bite is the Brown Dog Tick.
- Lyme disease spread by a deer tick bite has lately become more frequent in Virginia. To incur this disease the tick has to be attached for at least 36 hours. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, transmitted by the bite of an infected American Dog tick, has to be attached for 4 hours. Ehrlichiosis is transmitted by the bite of an infected Lone Star Tick has to be attached for 24 hours. All Tick-borne diseases are debilitating and can lead to death so if suspicions are that you or someone in your family is sick from a tick bite seek medical help immediately: there are very effective treatments available. This is something for your doctor, not your chiropractor.
- Living next to a wooded area coupled with areas of your yard that never seem to dry out is where ticks and mosquitoes are breeding. Our Pest services provide excellent treatments to make your yard safer and more livable. Powhatan Pest Control will inspect your property for free and provide a firm estimate for treatment- you only need to contact us. Sunlight is deadly to these insects where they breed so cutting the grass short and clearing out dense fields of ivy will cut back on the menace.
Cockroach Extermination and Controls
- Cockroaches are extreme pests that reproduce rapidly, spread disease and are massive spoilers of human food supplies so measures should be taken, when found, to repel them. They are mainly drawn to starch, sugar, grease, meat and cheese foodstuffs within homes, factories or restaurants. Decaying food items send off a strong odor that encourage nearby cockroaches to find the source which is why when living next to woods you should keep the garbage containers and at least 30 feet from the dwelling. At currant count, there’re 4000 species of cockroaches in our world but only a tiny fraction of those, about 30, are considered pests.
- The VA counties of Powhatan, Goochland, Amelia and Cumberland have 4 subspecies of cockroaches that are most often encountered:
- The most common one is the German Cockroach. These cockroaches, smaller than most, run about a ½ inch in length and are light brown in color with two black stripes running down their back. They prefer to scamper away because, though they have wings, they don’t fly very well. However, they are fast runners. They are an indoor subspecies unable to survive outside mostly due to cold weather. They infest other homes by hitching rides to new homes hiding inside used furniture, luggage, electronics (the warmth in these devices draw them), old books and bags or boxes. Multi-unit apartment buildings allow for easy movement between units through the improper sealing of holes surrounding plumbing and cabling lines. Powhatan Pest Control knows how to remove these nasty critters and your home, apartment or business will soon be pest free- just contact us for a free inspection.
- American Cockroach are among the largest of the species to occasionally infest homes but are more often found in restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries and other sites where food is prepared. and businesses running about 1.5 to 2 inches. They are 1.5 to 2.5 inches long, reddish brown in color and without enticing odors wafting on air currents will normally live outdoors in warm, moist and protected environment under wood mulch, leaf debris, sewers and steam tunnel. They will seek shelter indoors to escape the cold of winter.
- Oriental Cockroach are glossy black or dark brown in color and in length 1 to 2 inches. primarily live outdoors beneath mulch, leaf debris, piles of garbage. Attracted indoors to sewage, moist areas like drains and plumbing leaks. They will live in walls, crawlspaces or basements, drains and sewers.
- Wood Roaches look like German cockroaches but they are much larger and strictly an outdoor dwelling species sheltering under wood piles, within decaying logs and under loose tree bark. They may accidentally fly into a home through an open door or window however they cannot withstand the lower humidity of indoors and will quickly die within a day. When you see a cockroach flying around inside your home, it's likely a wood cockroach that accidentally wandered in.
- Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures and the only time they are seen in the light is when the colony has grown so large food is scarce. A noticed cockroach is the absolute best time to contact Powhatan Pest Control for a free inspection.
- Kill treatments and preventative controls suggested will depend upon the species of cockroach and the size of the colony.
Spider Extermination and Prevention
- There are 13 species of spiders considered native to the commonwealth of VA and 2 carry venom:
- The black widow is about 1.5 inches long and a shiny black in color with a red or orange hourglass shape on its back. The spider is not aggressive but will bite to defend itself. There is an antivenom that can save you from many days of intense muscle cramps so seek medical help fast. Small children, frail people and elderly are most at risk of death by its bite.
- The brown recluse is brown in color and about a ½ in size. It is a shy spider who hides in quiet, less frequently used, places. There bite causes death to tissue surrounding the bite but most people will respond well to icing, elevation and rest. Sometimes their bite can lead to a severe allergic reaction leading to death. There is no antivenom for a brown recluse bite.
- The most common spiders found living in Powhatan, Goochland, Amelia and Cumberland homes are:
- Common House Spider is small (1/8 to 1/4 inch) light brown or yellow colored body with dark v-shaped stripes on their body and legs. House spiders come in our homes to eat pests and do not bite us so are not considered dangerous to humans. However, many people are frightened by spiders and want them out sooner than later. if you see a lot of them, you have other pests in your home feeding them that should be addressed.
- Wolf Spiders, who once in a while cross into our homes seeking prey, alarm most people. They are extremely hairy, large and greyish brown with darker mottling on the body and legs. The females run from 1 ½ to 2 inches and the males are between ¼ to ¾ of an inch. Their large size and quick movements terrify us. The fact that they actively hunt prey leads some people to think they’ll bite them. No, they don’t bite humans. They hunt for prey smaller than themselves and only bite humans defensively.
- The best treatment for spiders is an ongoing pest control that takes away their food supply. Powhatan Pest Control will knock down all the spider webs we find around your home- it’s part of our treatment plan.