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Termite Season is Starting Early – What You Need to Know

termite problems

How To Protect Your Home From A Termite Invasion

Yes, you read that title right. Termite season is predicted to start earlier with these warmer temperatures we’ve had. The ‘swarm’ as the weather begins to warm, usually at the beginning of spring after a rain.

These intruders don’t need much room to squeeze into your home or business. In fact, they can enter a structure through a space as small as 1/32 of an inch.

More than likely, a home infested with drywood termites will require tent fumigation. Tent fumigation involves covering your home with tarps and introducing a fumigant gas to penetrate all infested wood. It is the most effective method of controlling drywood termite infestations.

What you should do now:

1. Move mulch/wood away from the foundation of your home

Any clutter, especially mulch close to the home, is asking for trouble. Wood-to-ground contact is a common access point for subterranean termites seeking entry into your home. Where possible, try to reduce wood-to-ground contact in the foundation of your home and any wood close to the perimeter.

2. Assess the perimeter of the home for mud tubes and rotting wood

In addition to removing this highway into your home, you also can treat wood with termiticide to make it unattractive to termites. Mud tubes are classic signs of these intruders. These pencil-sized tubes connect the nest to the food source (wood).

3. Repair rotted roof shingles and tiles

If you’ve started to experience leaks, weak shingles or tiles, it is important to get it replaced as soon as possible! The wood underlying your roof could very possibly be rotted or infested with termites, as they love the moisture-ridden wood. Be careful not to simply replace the wood without getting an inspection, as covering up the problem will just cause more of a headache down the road.

4. Divert water away from the home through downspouts and gutters

Check your gutters! Wet wood invites all kinds of problems, termites included. Termites constantly need to be surrounded by moisture. Prevent them making your home their home by ensuring that your gutters and water pipes are functioning correctly and removing water from the premises.

5. Keep basements, attics and crawl spaces ventilated and dry

Like we said above, you don’t want to have to deal with water damage issues of any kind, but termites especially. These pests live several feet under the surface of the ground and thrive in the damp, cool dirt. Keep your home dry and free of excess moisture and decaying wood by repairing any leaks, cracks or missing caulking.Contact the termite control team here at Killingsworth Environmental today and schedule a service with us!

For more information on termites’ whereabouts, check these 5 places termites could be hiding.

Termite Season is Starting Early – What You Need to Know

Bedbug inspection

How to Know if Your Hotel Has Bedbugs

Upon entering a hotel room, do you typically reach for the tiny toiletries, take a leap onto the bed, or perhaps start by inspecting for bed bugs? Knowing what to look for is essential. Anticimex Carolinas Service Manager Christian Tweed has shared valuable insights on identifying bed bugs in your hotel room and preventing them from hitching a ride back home with you. And if bed bugs do become an unexpected part of your vacation, remember that Clark’s Pest Control is here to assist!



Q&A with a Pest Professional


How do bed bugs get inside hotels?


Bed bugs are primarily hitchhiking insects as opposed to foraging ones, meaning that they get carried around on people’s clothes and belongings. Someone with an active infestation in their home can easily bring bed bugs to their hotel, but they can also be picked up during travel (airplanes, taxis, and rideshare services) and brought to a hotel room.


What do people misunderstand about bed bugs in hotels?


From a probability standpoint, all hotels will deal with bed bugs at some point in time. If you think about a bed bug’s method of travel, there’s literally nothing a hotel can do to stop them from being carried in. What I have realized is that luxury hotels are more likely to have an aggressive response to dealing with a bed bug case once it’s identified as they tend to have a higher quality of service and a reputation to protect. While this isn’t always the case, it has been my experience more often than not.

Got bedbugs? Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today!

What do you recommend travelers do when they get to their room to check for bed bugs?


Most hotel headboards hang directly on the wall. I start my inspection here before even looking at the bed itself. I have found bed bugs, their exoskeletons, and the telltale black stains they leave behind around the edges of or in the crevices of headboards. If the headboard looks clean, move on to looking over the pillowcases and comforter for any signs or stains. You can dig into the bedding as deep as you want here, but I encourage people to look over the top layer of things at the very least.


What are some lesser-known signs of bed bugs in your hotel room?


The specifics of the black stains they leave behind, which as gross as it sounds, are just digested blood as that’s all that bed bugs feed on. If the stains are on a hard surface, they will be small dots as if left behind by an ink pen and will smear into a brownish gray when moisture is applied. If they’re on fabric, they will usually bleed along the fibers making a small diamond, square or X shape.


If there are bed bugs in your hotel room, can they travel home with you?


They absolutely can, however this is easy to prevent. While staying in a hotel, keep as much of your clothing and luggage off the beds as possible. Storing suitcases in the bathroom might sound odd, but it’s an effective method of prevention.

Don’t tackle bedbugs yourself, call Clark’s at 866-781-4991!

What should you do with your suitcase if you suspect your hotel has bed bugs?


When arriving home from a trip, leave your luggage in the garage or on a porch and bring your clothes in one load of laundry at a time. If the clothes are dirty, wash them like you normally would, if they’re clean then run them through the dryer for at least forty-five minutes. Once your suitcase is empty, vacuum over it meticulously (don’t forget to empty the vacuum when you’re done), or if you’re in the right climate, expose it to heat for a few days by placing it in your vehicle (parked in the sun) or for a few weeks in your attic.


The Clark’s Solution


If you brought bed bugs back to you home, Clark’s is here to help. Our Bedbug Control service is designed to eliminate bedbugs and create a safe, comfortable environment.


A Clark’s Pest Professional will do an inspection and recommend a plan of attack to get rid of bed bugs now and prevent them from hatching in the future. Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today for more information.



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