Most New York residents are aware that this year, tick populations are going to be heavier than normal. Tick populations are on the rise, not due to the mild weather, but acorn populations. Ticks are no stranger to Saratoga and the Capital Region and can transmit diseases like, Rocky Mounted Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease. Albany’s local WTEN reports, the increase in tick populations comes the possibility of tick borne diseases. 

YNN Albany already reports, a two year old from Dutchess County is recovering from rare tick paralysis, from a dog tick. This is the first case of its kind in the northeast since 1998, which can result in complete respiratory failure. 

How to prevent ticks: 

• Wear light-colored clothing, which is easier to ticks on.
• Keep shirts tucked in, and always wear closed-toe shoes in woodsy areas. 
• Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening, and don’t sit directly on the ground or stone walls. 
• Examine your clothes, gear, and pets thoroughly after spending time outdoors. 
• Check your skin. Not all ticks attach right away, but others will wander and look for places like the ear or other areas where the skin is thinner. Don’t forget about some of my sneakiest hiding spots, like under the arms, inside the belly button, and around all head and body hair.
• Some ticks don’t implant right away, so showering within a couple of hours of gardening or walking in the woods may remove them. 
• It’s also a good idea to put clothes in the dryer on high heat for 20 minutes, which can destroy ticks hiding on your clothes you may have missed.

Habits

Subterranean termites live underground and build tunnels, referred to as mud tubes, to reach food sources. Like other termite species, they feed on products containing cellulose. Subterranean termites swarm in the spring — groups of reproductive termites go off to start new colonies.

Habitat

Subterranean termites need contact with the soil to survive and live underground. They can build tunnels through cracks in concrete.

Threats

Subterranean termites are by far the most destructive species. They can collapse a building entirely, meaning possible financial ruin for a homeowner. The hard, saw-toothed jaws of termites work like shears and are able to bite off extremely small fragments of wood, one piece at a time.

Ticks have only six legs during their larval stage and eight legs during their nymphal and adult stages.

The deer tick is smaller than a pinhead

Blacklegged (deer) ticks, carriers of Lyme disease, like to spend the winter nestled in the fur of a deer. 

In addition to Lyme disease, ticks can also transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, relapsing fever and ehrlichiosis.

With Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness, about 30-50% of victims get a pinkish bull’s-eye type rash but victims are more likely to feel like they have the flu.

With Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a tick-borne illness, victims may experience fever, chills, headache, vomiting, fatigue and small red spots or blotches that begin on the wrists, ankles, palms and soles of the feet.

Although Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a tick-borne disease, was first discovered and recognized in the Rocky Mountain area, relatively few cases are reported from that area today.

Tick paralysis is a tick-borne disease that is caused by the toxins in tick saliva and can occur when the tick remains continuously attached for 2-7 days.

As a Saratoga and Capital Region homeowner, you know there are some home projects you can take on yourself (painting the guest room) and some that are better left to the professionals (installing electrical wiring in the basement). The same logic goes for pest control, states the National Pest Management Association. In some cases, do-it-yourself measures are fine but in others, it is best to call in a pest professional to ensure the job is done correctly and safely. So how do you know which pest scenarios are DIY-approved and which are pro-worthy?

In most cases, the answer depends on the several factors, including the type of pest, its threats to your family’s health, the potential for property damage and the size of the infestation. For example, one lone yellow jacket that found its way into your home is no cause for alarm. But a nest of yellow jackets near your front porch? Time to call in the pros.

Specifically, here are a few pests that you should leave to the pros:

1.    Termites

Termites are especially destructive pests that cause more than $5 billion in property damage every year. These wood-eating insects use their scissor-like jaws to chew through walls, floors and ceilings 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This means that a termite infestation can cause serious property damage and compromise the structural stability of your home in a relatively short amount of time. What’s worse, damage from wood-boring insects like termites is not typically covered by homeowners’ insurance policies. Pest professionals are trained to understand the unique biology and behaviors of termites. They can perform routine inspections to spot early signs of a problem, and if necessary, have the tools and know-how to effectively treat an infestation. 

 2.    Other wood-boring insects

• Like termites, other wood-boring insects such as carpenter ants, carpenter bees and powder post beetles should be taken seriously. Given time, wood-boring pests can damage important support beams in your home, resulting in expensive repairs.
• Carpenter ants, for example, excavate wood in order to build their nests. Their excavation results in smooth tunnels inside the wood.
• Carpenter bees, on the other hand, bore through soft woods to lay eggs and protect their larvae as they develop.
• Powderpost beetles can be equally as destructive. These beetles create tunnels in unfinished wood during their larvae stage, reducing it to a fine, flour-like powder. Once the powderpost beetles reach adulthood – as much as a year to five years later – they emerge and lay eggs on the wood, continuing the cycle.

 3.    Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are certainly not a pest that should be handled on your own. For one, they are notoriously elusive, often hiding out in hard to detect places like behind electrical switches and under wallpaper. A trained pest professional will know where bed bugs are likely to hide in your home and can develop a treatment plan to target the pests while ensuring the safety of your family and pets.

To effectively treat a bed bug infestation all stages of the bed bug life cycle must be treated, including bed bug eggs, nymphs (babies) and adult bed bugs. Unfortunately, DIY pest control methods are often ineffective against bed bug nymphs and eggs. Attempts to control a bed bug infestation on your own may only exacerbate the problem and give the infestation time to grow. And bed bugs reproduce quickly – one female bed bug can lay one to five eggs in a day and more than 500 in their lifetime, meaning that a small infestation can quickly grow out of control.

In addition, homeowners that attempt to control a bed bug infestation on their own often spend more money in the long run on failed treatments. Some residents with bed bug infestations unnecessarily throw out furniture, clothing and other personal property in an attempt to control an infestation. In extreme cases, homeowners have seriously damaged their homes or sickened their families by misusing pest control products. 

 4.    Stinging Insects

Infestations of any type of stinging insect – such as wasps, or yellow jackets should always be left up to the professionals. Stinging insects pose serious health risks. In fact, they send half a million people to the emergency room every year. A single colony of stinging insects can contain anywhere from a few hundred to 80,000 members, which can attack if their nest is threatened. Those with allergies to insect stings are especially at risk, but if a large nest of stinging insects attacks, it can be life threatening to anyone.

 5.    Reoccurring or heavy infestations

No matter the type of pest, if you have an infestation that keeps coming back no matter what you try, it’s time to contract a professional. Reoccurring pest infestations are a sign that your home is just too enticing for pests. Perhaps a small access point (such as a tear in a window screen or a crack in the foundation) is providing easy access indoors for ants. Or perhaps a drip under the bathroom sink is creating the perfect conditions for cockroaches. Whatever it is, a trained pest professional will inspect your home, determine the infestation and help you resolve it once and for all.

DIY methods are also no match for heavy pest infestations.  Because many pests pose serious health and property threats, a sizable pest infestation should be left up to the professionals to handle, before it can grow any larger.

As a homeowner, there are a lot of DIY steps you can take to help prevent pests from finding their way into your home, but even these are most effective when completed in partnership with your Albany pest professional. And, if you suspect you have an infestation, your first step should always be to call a licensed and trained pest professional. They will be able to properly identify your pest problem and recommend an appropriate course of treatment. 

Carpenter ants plague Albany homeowners along with many Capital Region homeowners this time of year. Carpenter ants are wood destroying insects that have the ability to damage your Saratoga home or property. Carpenter ants are not just an ordinary ant, so it is important to understand characteristics of the carpenter ant to be knowledgable about them. PCT Magazine offers some tips and educational information on these destructive insects. 

Nesting Behavior: Carpenter ants in the East generally have smaller parent nests in deciduous trees, while Western species prefer conifers and larger nests. 

Satellites in Structures: Carpenter ants are attracted to the soft, easy-to-chew wood used to build most houses, making structures ideal for satellite colonies. These usually are found in the attic, crawl space or subfloor where ants have access to the outside. The presence of winged ants indoors in early spring is a good indication that the structure has a satellite colony.

Workers Move In: All workers come from the parent colony. They move into the satellite colony in summer and, once established, may stay there for a long period. The satellite colony must have worker reinforcements from the parent colony or it will die out.

Reproductives Move Out: Satellite colonies commonly contain winged male and female reproductives. These ants do not add to the satellite colony population; they will fly off to start the next colony. Satellite colonies usually do not contain a queen and do not reproduce unless workers are reproducing males.

Food Preferences: Carpenter ants don’t eat wood, they nest in it. They are omnivores, feasting on caterpillars, honeydew and their favorite — aphids and other hemopterans. Occasionally, warm indoor temperatures will interrupt the ants’ winter dormancy, and homeowners will find them seeking moisture in sinks or getting an early spring sugar fix on donuts or fruit.

Vegetation Must Go: Carpenter ants must go outside to feed. Vegetation and trees should not touch the structure. This includes branches that may scrape the roof during heavy snow or rain. 

Check the Wires: The ants also will walk wires into structures, so carefully inspect cable/Internet lines. Some lines go through trees, making for a perfect way in and out.

Keep Wood Dry: Moisture weakens wood siding — which, in turn, attracts ants — so take steps to keep it dry. Grade the foundation so water runs away from the structure, and keep the area clear so snow build up and splashing rain won’t compromise the siding. Never let wood come in contact with the soil.

Pay Attention to Birds: Woodpeckers drum in the spring to call for mates, but they also peck holes in houses to get to carpenter ants — a chief food source. If a homeowner has woodpecker issues year round, consider removing the siding in key spots: You may uncover an ant problem.

Get the History: Buried wood is highly conducive to carpenter ants, so interview clients about their yards. Are stumps or timbers buried on the property? What’s under the bark and landscape plastic in the flower beds? They may not know but it’s worth asking.

With ant infestations on the rise throughout the country, including the northeast, it is important to resolve ant issues relatively quickly. Carpenter ants can contribute property and structural damage by chewing galleries in wood to create their nests. Contact your Albany ant removal specialists, whether it’s one ant, ten ants, piles of sawdust or other signs of ants. Do not let these insects continue to damage your structure, contact Thomas Pest Services for a free inspection.