Lady Bugs or Lady Beetles?

Lady Bugs or Lady Beetles? What’s the difference? 

The insects we know as lady bugs are actually small beetles and there are more than 6000 types! The Asian lady beetle is actually the most prevalent and it was brought to the US in 1916 to help combat aphids. While the red body with black dots is the type that first comes to mind when picturing a lady bug, these tiny beetles can be red, pink, orange or tan with or without black spots. They are generally beneficial to plants, eating aphids and scale insects, but too much of a good thing can mean a nasty infestation. Lady beetles leave behind drops of yellow liquid to protect them from predators, it has a very unpleasant odor and can leave stains. Asian lady beetles or lady bugs are not known to carry any diseases, though some types can bite if they land on your skin. 

The best way to prevent lady beetles from getting out of control inside your home is to prevent them getting inside in the first place. If you’ve not checked your home for cracks around windows and doors, now is the time. It’s also a good time to inspect your screens before warmer weather arrives, patch up any holes or tears. Insecticide around cracks and near openings of doors and windows can be effective in keeping the beetles out, but know that it’s useless once they’re inside. 

Spring Pests Part III: Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are large bodied black ants that become active in early spring. Similar to Carpenter Bees in that they don’t eat wood but chew it as they tunnel into it. And like carpenter bees, they can do damage to the wood in your home or on your property. Keeping them out is a matter of:

1. Sealing cracks and keeping branches and shrubs near your house trimmed.

2. Eliminate sources of moisture and standing water.

3. Store firewood and building materials (wood!) away from the house.

How do you know if you have carpenter ants? Seeing small piles of sawdust or body parts near small holes in wood is a pretty good sign that carpenter ants have set up a colony. In spring the winged males emerge and look to mate. Colonies can be comprised of more than 50,000 ants!

The presence of a carpenter ant nest is sometimes indicated by a rustling sound that will come from wall voids or from wood where the nest is located when they are disturbed. If you see one ant, don’t be complacent, if you see one there’s more. Call a pest control professional to safely and completely eliminate carpenter ants from your home or property!

Spring Pests and Prevention Tips Part II: Carpenter Bees!

Carpenter bees, or “wood bees,” are so called because they bore into wood to make their nests and raise their young. They don’t eat wood but tunnel into it, and wood like your eaves, deck, fencing or other wooden structures on your property can be seriously damaged by carpenter bees.

Carpenter bees that survived the winter in a tunnel or cell will emerge in early spring to mate and reproduce. Carpenter bees don’t live in colonies or hives like other bees, but one carpenter bee can do a significant amount of damage. To add to the issue, the larvae in the tunnels are food for woodpeckers, who may do further damage to the wood to extract and eat them. What can you do now to avoid Carpenter bee damage?

1. Paint and/or stain any wood, including fences, the exterior of your home, deck or sheds.

2. Fill depressions or cracks in wood to make it less attractive to the bees.

3. Fill occupied holes/tunnels with steel wool to prevent re-use.

If you find yourself with more of an issue than you can handle with carpenter bees, call a pest control professional! Call Siani!

Spring Pests and Prevention Tips

As much as we’re all looking forward to spring, it brings a whole new slew of pests into the picture here in the Berks, Lebanon and Lancaster county areas. Read on to learn more about the most common local spring time pests and how to keep them from causing headaches and worse: costing you money!

First up: Termites!

Termites: This word can strike fear in the hearts of homeowners all across the country and rightly so. Termites cost US homeowners over $5 billion in property damage every year. When spring comes, termite swarmers looking to start a new colony are typically the first sign of termite season. These winged-pests show up inside homes in early spring.

Termite Tips:

1. If you have any wood exposed to soil or near your foundation, it’s an open invitation to termites, carpenter ants and carpenter bees. Treat this wood with a termite product, even if it’s painted (paint alone will not deter these pests!).

2. Don’t place shrubs or any plants (or even mulch!) next to your foundation, the wood fibers and moisture will attract termites.

3. Check out this video on how to tell the difference between flying ants and termites. If you’re still confused about what you have, call a licensed pest professional!

If you find yourself with any kind of a pest issue, don’t wait - call a licensed, experienced LOCAL pest professional: call Siani! 610-589-4091.

All about Rodents

Rodents of some kind will find their way into over 21 million homes this winter. Familiarizing yourself with signs of a rodent presence in your home, then taking quick action at the first signs of an infestation will help safeguard your family’s health and your property value. Read on to find out what types of rodents we have in the Berks, Lebanon and Lancaster county areas and how to identify them.

Deer Mice - Deer Mice are found throughout the entire US and love to nest in fence posts, hollow trees, and log piles (your firewood!). They don’t come inside often, but if they do, they are a heath threat, as they are the most common carrier of Hantavirus. You can distinguish a deer mouse from an ordinary house mouse by their tail, which is bicolored brown and white. Prevention tip: Don’t tempt them inside by storing pet or bird food in garages or storage sheds!

House Mice - Unlike deer mice, house mice like to be inside in a dark secluded area of a house or other structures. but like deer mice they are also a health threat, and can spread Salmonella and tapeworms via fleas (also, fleas!). The main threat, however, is property destruction as they can gnaw through walls, food containers and furniture and have been know to cause fires by chewing through wires. House mice can fit through an opening as small as a dime. Although they have poor vision and are color blind, their other senses are very keen. Prevention tip: house mice love to nest in clutter, so keep storage areas clean and store boxes off the floor. Also, keep food in sealed, rodent-proof containers.

Norway Rats - Like deer and house mice, they’re found all over the US. They’re primarily nocturnal, and love to nest in basements, attics and and garages. Norway rats can cause significant damage gnawing through walls, doors, food containers, even plastic and lead pipes! They also carry disease, such as plague, jaundice, rat-bite fever, cowpox virus, trichinosis and salmonellosis. Also, fleas! Norway rats can gain entry into your home through a hole the size of a quarter so a good prevention tip is to seal cracks and holes in the exterior of your home before they squeeze in.

Now you know all about the rodents that are likely to invade your home, keep your eyes peeled for signs of rodent droppings, gnaw marks, footprints, damaged food containers or oily streaks on walls left behind by the rodents’ fur. Call Siani at the first sign of a rodent, because if you see one, there’s definitely more!

Our Top Pest Prevention Tips!

Ants, cockroaches, spiders, stink bugs, termites, mice, bees, rats; if you have them in your home, one thing is for certain, they ALL got there coming in from the outside. So, it should come as no surprise that many of our top pest prevention tips have to do with keeping them out in the first place. Read on to learn how to do the best job possible in preventing the most common pests in the Berks, Lebanon and Lancaster county areas!

Keep pest-friendly environments as far away from your house as you can.

• Trim tree limbs and keep them away from your house, roofs and windows in particular.

• Store firewood at least 20 feet from your home and at least 5 inches off the ground.

• Repair/seal cracks and holes in the exterior of your home and foundation.

• Repair leaky pipes and make sure drainage runs away from the house.

• Use weatherstripping around doors and windows, especially in the basement.

• Replace rotting shingles on your roof

Keep areas prone to dampness dry

• Maintain dry conditions in your basement with a fan and/or a dehumidifier

• See that your attic is also well ventilated

• Don’t allow exhaust fans from bathrooms or kitchens to vent into your attic or crawlspace.

  Keep things clean

• Inside, wipe up spills and crumbs promptly and remove garbage consistently.

• Outside, store garbage away from your house in heavy duty containers with tight-fitting lids.

  Don’t be afraid to call a pro!

• We can identify and eliminate all the common pests in the Berks, Lebanon and Lancaster county areas, so don’t hesitate to call us. We can also help to ensure that bugs don’t come back with a service plan that includes regularly scheduled visits throughout the year.

Where do pests go in the winter?

While we might be enjoying the cold months in our warm houses, or even taking off to Florida to soak up the sun, what happens to the pests over the winter?

Ants

Ants are very good at surviving cold temperatures. In the fall, they consume lots of food to survive for long stretches without eating. In winter, they hibernate deep in the soil or under rocks and emerge in spring, ready to chow down at your first picnic or cookout.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs can withstand temperatures from nearly freezing to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes them hard to eliminate, though they will most likely die after a few days of exposure to temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Too bad we provide them with toasty warm quarters in our homes and beds!

Cockroaches

No pest is quite so resilient as the cockroach. They have survived for millions of years and become highly adaptable to different environments. Cockroaches can and will survive year-round as long as they have access to warm, moist conditions, like our kitchens and bathrooms.

Termites

Subterranean termites, the most common variety in our area, can survive easily by digging down deep into lower layers of soil. In spring they swarm out, looking for mates and new nest locations, often in our houses!

Now you know that some of our more common pests will not just die off when the weather gets colder, be especially aware of signs of an infestation and call a pest control professional!

Five Signs You May Have a Termite Infestation

Termites can destroy a home in as little as one year and cost billions of dollars in damage for US homeowners. Repairing termite damage in the US typically costs between $600 and $3,000, with an average cost of $1,800 nationally. The structural integrity of your home can be compromised before you even know there’s an issue. Do you know what the signs of termite damage are? Let’s take a closer look.

Subterranean termite common in our area

1. Swarmers - appearing in the spring after the last freeze, these young females and males come out of the nest looking to mate and start a new colony. Seeing lots of discarded wings or the swarmers themselves, near windowsills and doors, is a pretty good sign that you have termites.

2. Mud tubes - look for these around the foundation of your home. Termites construct the tubes to provide moisture in between the colony and their food sources.

Termite mud tubes

3. Wood damage - Blistering or wood that sounds hollow when you when you knock on it can be a sign of termites.

4. Uneven or bubbling paint - this is either water damage or termites!

5. Frass - Termites produce wood-like droppings. If you see a small pile of wood-colored pellets, it’s a strong possibility you have a termite problem.

Seeing any or all of these signs around your home? Don’t wait, call a pest control professional in your area. In the Berks, Lebanon or Lancaster county areas? Call Siani!

How to avoid bedbugs when traveling

Summer vacation often means travel, and whether you’re staying in a hotel, motel or other rental accommodations, know what to do to prevent bedbugs from hitching a ride home with your family!

• Check the room BEFORE you unpack, leave your suitcases in the hallway while you inspect the behind the headboard and in sofas/chairs.  If you see any sides of bedbugs, change rooms or hotels immediately!

• The bed: pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly at the corners, for telltale stains or spots.  Again, if you see anything suspect, change rooms/establishments immediately.

• Once you’re home: inspect your suitcases before bringing them into the house. Vacuum them thoroughly - don’t forget the seams - and wash all of your clothes in hot water.

Follow these tips and let memories and maybe a sun burn be the only things you bring home from summer vacation!

Spring Pest Prevention Tips

Spring is coming and the time you devote now to pest prevention will pay off in the coming months. Let’s get started!

1. If you have any wood exposed to soil or near your foundation, it’s an open invitation to termites, carpenter ands and carpenter bees. Treat this wood with a termite product, even if it’s painted (paint alone will not deter these pests!).

2. April showers bring moisture loving pests! Check your outdoor faucets, hose hookups, etc., and fix any leaks, then install drains or spouts to avoid any standing water, as this is where mosquitos breed.

3. Check areas such as crawl spaces, basements and garages for dampness now to avoid more problems with summer humidity. Set up ventilation systems in spring and you’ll help prevent insects and possibly mold.

4. Don’t place shrubs or any plants (or even mulch!) next to your foundation, the wood fibers and moisture will attract pests such as termites.

   
   If you still find yourself with a pest issue, don’t wait - call a licensed, experienced LOCAL pest professional: call Siani! 610-589-4091.

Yellow jackets are STILL hanging around

It’s well past the end of summer, yet we’re still getting lots of calls about Yellow jackets. Ever wonder why these pests seem to get more aggressive as fall sets in? Read on and we’ll tell you!

Late summer and into fall the yellow jacket nest (“nest” can refer to both the collective insects and the structure they live in. Here it refers to both!) is as large as it will get, with potentially up to several thousand bees inside. That’s a lot of stingers! Yellowjackets are very territorial and will not hesitate to attack an intruder or someone who simply gets too close. Their stings are painful, and they can sting more than once. 

With more bees and the temperatures getting cooler, food becomes more scarce and the nest goes into survival mode. Desperate for the sweets they love, they might be seen hanging around trash bins or swinging by your tailgate party for the sweet drinks or spilled barbeque sauce. 

A development in recent years is the addition of the Spotted Lanternfly to the mix. The “honeydew” secreted by the Spotted Lanternflies is sweet and if the yellow jackets feed on it, it could actually contribute to the yellow jackets longevity.

But enough about why they’re around and why they’re so aggressive, what to do if you have a nest on your property? You may be tempted to try to eliminate the nest on your own. A quick web search provides a number of ways to handle a yellow jacket nest, including dumping ice into the nest, covering the nest entrances with bowls, or spraying peppermint oil at the nest. All of these methods are dangerous and we do NOT recommend them! The best thing to do is call a pest professional to safely and completely remove the nest, especially if the yellow jackets have gotten into your home. Nests in the wall of a building are very difficult to remove and should not be attempted by anyone other than a trained, experienced pest tech. 

Pest Proofing for Cooler Temperatures

Just when you thought you were safe from summer bees, flies and mosquitos, along come the cooler temperatures and spiders, cockroaches and rodents. Don’t let your home become a warm haven for these critters, follow these tips and keep them OUT!

• Look for cracks and holes outside your house, especially around where cables and pipes enter. Make sure they are sealed, mice and rats can fit their bodies through surprisingly small holes!

• While you’re checking around those pipes, make sure there are no leaks or clogged drains. Pests need water to survive, don’t provide it for them!  

• Screen the vent to your chimney, if you have one and keep your basement, garage, and any other storage areas clean and dry. 

• Check basement window and foundation and fix any loose weather stripping or mortar. 

• Install door sweeps and fix those screens. Check weather stripping around all doors and windows. 

• Store firewood at least 20 feet from your home. Insects and rodents like to nest in wood piles so don’t allow them easy access to your house or garage. 

Isn’t there enough to worry about with winter without adding a pest infestation to the list? Keep your home healthy and pest free when cooler weather arrives! 

How to Avoid Bedbugs

When it comes to a dream home for a bedbug, a college dorm or other communal living situation is ideal: lots of warm bodies in a small space.

If you understand how bedbugs travel, it’s easy to see how they can quickly become an infestation. They’re very good at hitchhiking; they can go for a long time without feeding and live in suitcases or furniture or sometimes electronics and books. Let’s look at some ways to prevent a bedbug invasion.

• Check suitcases thoroughly, inside pockets and under flaps.

• Fully inspect the room, especially the mattress and box spring, if there is one. Look for the telltale signs of bugs or eggs in every seam and crease. As well as the actual bugs, you’re looking for the tiny dark specks that are bedbug droppings, and small spots and stains. Be thorough and leave your bags in the hall or put them in a bathtub while you check.

• Secondhand furniture is also a big transporter of bedbugs. We all know students are on a budget and a free comfy sofa on a neighbor’s curb might seem like a lucky find, avoid secondhand furniture unless you can be sure the reason for it’s being tossed out is NOT bedbugs!

• Look closely at library books, as they also can transport bedbugs into your living space. Examine the binding and in between the pages for signs of bedbugs.

• Finally, itchy bites, especially in clusters of three, may indicate a bedbug bite.

  Bedbugs are one of the most difficult pests to treat, so don’t let them into your dorm room, apartment or home. Our techs are trained to treat bedbug infestations, so if you do end up with these pests, don’t hesitate to call for an appointment!

How to Hire a Pest Control Professional

Whether you’re a new homeowner needing a WDI inspection, or you’ve just discovered a hornets’ nest under the eave, chances are that if you own property, at some point you’re going to need to hire a pest control service. There are a lot of companies out there, from big corporations to small local businesses. How do you decide? Read on as we have some tips to find the pest control solution that’s right for you!

Ask Around: Friends, family and neighbors can be a good resource. Ask if they’ve used a pest control service and if so, how satisfied they were with the results/service. 

Read reviews: Search out online reviews. Look for companies with not only good ratings, but how do they respond to the not so good ones, if any? This is a good indication of the level of customer service you’ll receive. A responsible company will respond to all reviews and show appreciation for the good ones and try to improve from the bad ones.  Read some of our reviews here.

Shop Around: If it’s a big job, get quotes from a few companies and compare, don’t just go with the least expensive option!

Check Affiliations: Look for qualified and licensed pest control professionals and companies that are members of national, state or local pest management associations.

Hope these tips give a starting place for anyone looking to find a pest control company or any other type of service for your home or property. If you prefer working with a locally based, family owned company that takes customer service seriously, please give Siani Pest Control a call!

Brood X Cicadas are coming!

What bug is in the same family as stink bugs and bedbugs and will be seen in our area in the millions in May? 

If you guessed the cicada you’re right! Read on to find out where and when you can see this emergence and what it means for your trees and property.

Cicadas are large flying insects that spend most of their lives underground. You’ve probably seen or heard cicadas before, the males emit a loud humming or buzzing noise to attract females. They have an interesting life cycle as once they are hatched they spend up to 17 years underground feeding on roots before emerging to live for about a month mating before dying off. A small number of cicadas emerge each year but a massive number of periodical cicadas all come up out of the ground at once every 13-17 years. If you’re wondering what it looks like when thousands or even millions of cicadas emerge at the same time, you don’t have long to wait to find out, as it will most likely be happening in our area in late May. Previous broods have emerged when the soil temperature is at least 64 degrees F and after a soaking rain. 

There’s good news and bad news on the effect that cicadas can have on people and the environment. The good news is that they do not sting or bite and they don’t carry diseases! In addition the nymphs construct tunnels underground that help to aerate the soil which actually helps tree roots get more nutrients and oxygen. They act like little roto-tillers and turn over soil when they emerge from the ground, and their decaying bodies nourish the soil. As if that weren’t enough, their egg-laying in trees sometimes results in increased numbers of fruits in the succeeding years. They are not pests and do not need to be eliminated. In fact, pesticides are ineffective against periodical cicadas. 

The little bit of bad news is that egg laying in young trees can harm the trees. If you have a young tree/sapling, normally wrapping the tree can prevent egg laying.

During their 13 to 17 years underground, they feed on the juices and saps of tree roots, but unlike grubs, don’t touch the grass roots so won’t harm your lawn. Once they have emerged they may feed on plant juices including trees, but the damage is minimal and NOTHING like the damage from the highly destructive Spotted Lanternfly. 

If you have any questions about the periodical cicadas or are planning to plant some trees this spring, give us a call and we can safeguard your young trees from the cicadas. 

Keeping your pantry pest free

Cooler temperatures and shorter days are here and that means Thanksgiving and the holidays are not far behind! What is it about cold dark days that make us want to stay inside and cook and bake and EAT?! We’ve got another step to add to the cooking/eating cycle and that’s cleaning up! Cooler temperatures also mean that bugs and rodents are trying to find a warm place to spend the winter. Don’t let it be your house! Read on to find tips and advice to keep your pantry pest free into 2021!

There’s a long list of bugs that would find your flour, sugar and chocolate appetizing (I mean, who wouldn’t that’s basically a cookie!), but you’re most likely to see Indian meal moths and merchant grain beetles. Neither of these bugs carry any diseases that will make you sick, but it’ s not a very wholesome sight to see insects wandering around in your kitchen cabinets.

Cockroaches, however, are another story. They can carry over 30 kinds of bacteria including salmonella and E.Coli and will eat almost anything including glue and toothpaste! Roaches multiply rapidly and are difficult to eliminate. If you see one roach, we can guarantee there are a lot more crawling around where you can’t see them. Call us and have your home treated, then keep everything clean and those roaches will have to find another place to eat. 

Mice can enter your home in a space as small as a dime and just love anything grain based like oatmeal, cereal, pasta, and crackers but they’re not picky and will chow down on whatever’s handy, including the protein bars no one likes.

Here are our list of tips to avoid an infestation this season:

Inspect the packaging

That’s right, pest control in the pantry begins in the store! Before buying bags of sugar, flour, chocolate, cereal or nuts, pay close attention to the seams of the bags and boxes and look for any holes or tiny tears. If there’s an opening, don’t buy it!

Siani approved food storage

Store it right

Once you get the food in your house, ensure that you have the appropriate storage containers to keep it. Don’t expect a bag clip to keep enterprising (and hungry!) grain beetles out of that bag of flour. Invest in a proper set of canisters or get some plastic containers with secure lids. 

Deck the halls

If you’re getting a live tree, wreath or garland, look over it carefully for any signs of insect activity. This goes double for the wood pile. If you have a fireplace, check your woodpile regularly for insects and rodents and look closely at the wood you’re bringing in to the house to make sure it’s not hiding bugs! 

Another pest favorite, popcorn! Family movie nights with snacks like these can bring pests from the kitchen into other living spaces.

Clean it up

Don’t let spills, particularly anything sugary or fatty, sit. If the whole family is gathered around the tv watching football games or binge watching your favorite shows (or putting cookies out for Santa!), make sure to clean up crumbs, because the kitchen isn’t the only place bugs find food! 

The takeaway from all this is call Siani and get your home treated if you suspect any kind of infestation in your pantry. Then keep your counters, floors and furniture clean and crumb free and you’ll make your home an inhospitable place for bugs. 

Mice and Rat Control

Days are already getting shorter and there’s pumpkin spice in everything from your breakfast cereal to your beer. Soon (not soon enough, amirite?) the temperature will start to drop and some of the creatures outside may start thinking about coming inside. Read on and we’ll give you info on what animals to look out for and some tips to make sure they don’t find a way inside your house. 

Mice 

These tiny creatures (each only 1-2 inches long, not including tails) are said to be the most common mammal in the entire United States. Despite their diminutive size, the common house mouse can cause BIG problems. Not only do they reproduce at an alarming rate (up to 12 babies every few weeks!) but they are known to carry up to 200 human pathogens, including salmonella and Hantavirus. Mice will enter your home through holes no larger than a dime, so each crack and crevice is an open invitation to mice: “Come on in and set up house!” When they’re outside, they eat cereals, seeds, nuts, fruit and sometimes insects. When they’re inside, they’ll eat almost anything. They are also surprisingly agile. While you won’t see them doing any Simone Biles moves, they can jump a foot into the air, and climb up cabinetry in the kitchen to get to food. 

How can you tell if you have mice? Look for the tiny brown droppings (they eat all day long so there will be plenty!) and micro-puddles of sticky, smelly mouse urine. They’ll also leave lots of gnaw marks where they’re trying to get to food. If you see one mouse, as with most pests, there are definitely more you can’t see. 

What can you do? Start now sealing up cracks and openings in your home. Pay special attention to the areas around pipes going in and out. Steel wool works great to close these up, as well as spray foam and caulk. If the mice have already made it inside, there are a number of kinds of traps and poisons. If you’ve got a real infestation, please call a professional. 

Rats

Norway rats are what we commonly refer to as street rats or sewer rats. Like mice, they’re found all throughout the United States, but they’re much larger than mice (by 6-8 inches!). Despite their larger size, they still manage to get inside homes and businesses, sometimes by gnawing their way in. Fun fact about rat teeth: the incisors NEVER stop growing so the rats need to chew to keep the teeth at a functional length. Rats can and will chew through wood and plastic, but you may not realize they can also chew cement, brick, cinder blocks and aluminum! Also similar to mice, they reproduce rapidly and a female can have up to six litters a year! 

How can you tell if you have a rat problem? You’ll see evidence of gnawing around your house or property, droppings which are shaped like capsules, and possibly oily marks along walls where their fur has rubbed. 

What can you do? Cover and seal food containers and garbage cans. Eliminate leaky pipes, especially from damp basements and crawl spaces; rats, like all mammals, need a water source to survive, don’t supply it! Store firewood a good distance from the house (20 ft) and keep shrubbery trimmed away from the house. Screen your attic vents and chimneys, and seal up cracks and crevices. As with mice, steel wool works to plug up holes. Copper wool also works and will not rust. Replace worn weather stripping and repair your screens. 

Sometimes despite your best efforts, vermin like mice or rats find a way into your house. It’s estimated that mice invade up to 21 million homes every year between now and February. If they’re already inside, call a pest professional, we can help you eliminate your rodent problem safely and effectively. 

Spotted Lanternfly FAQ

If you are anywhere in our service area, chances are good that you have at least heard of the Spotted Lanternfly, if not encountered it at some point in its life cycle this spring and summer. Now that we’re heading toward the end of summer, the Spotted Lanternfly is mature and getting ready to lay eggs in the fall. We get lots of questions about the Spotted Lanternfly and thought it might be helpful if we answered some here. 

What does the Spotted Lanternfly eat? Unlike other insects that feed on the leaves, or termites that eat the cellulose from wood, Spotted Lanternflies eat the sap from trees by sucking it out. They are greedy little guys and ingest way more than their body can process, excreting the rest. This excreted substance is called “honeydew” and is a sugary material which in turn attracts other insects and also encourages black mold, both of which can also harm trees. They love fruit trees and vineyards are especially susceptible to Spotted Lanternfly damage as damage in one part of the vineyard will spread to the rest, independent of insect activity. It’s not just the adult that causes damage, the nymphs have the same diet. One bright spot is that the nymphs will climb up and down the tree they are feeding on, so they can often be trapped with something like fly paper placed around the tree. Sadly this does not work for the adults. 

What trees/plants are immune to the Spotted Lanternfly? At first it was thought they only liked the Tree of Heaven, which is itself an invasive plant, but it seems now that there are many trees that the Spotted Lanternfly will feed on. They prefer smooth barked trees and have not been known as yet to feed on fir trees but they certainly will lay eggs on them. Remember the Spotted Lanternfly has only been in our area since 2014, so even though they’ve been studied extensively, there’s a lot we don’t know. 

What do trees look like that have been a host to Spotted Lanternfly? Trees that have been hosts to Spotted Lanternflies can be observed to have curling, wilting leaves and twigs and limbs. They will be oozing sap and may also exhibit the honeydew from the Spotted Lanternflies and/or the black mold that results. Trees can also show dieback, which means that the tree begins to die from the tips of its limbs. 

Does the Spotted Lanternfly have a natural predator? Will birds eat them? So far, the Spotted Lanternfly has no natural predators. While birds and some spiders have been known to eat them, they are not doing so in sufficient numbers to put a dent in the Spotted Lanternfly population. 

Can’t we just wait for them to die in winter? While the adult insects will not survive the winter, the same cannot be said for their eggs, which can and will survive the harsh central Pennsylvania winter. The adults will continue to lay eggs from around July to as late as November. 

Is there anything I can do to protect my property? If you see Spotted Lanternfly eggs on trees, scrape them off and dispose of them, but be very careful not to transport the eggs. The PDA is asking that anyone in the quarantine area check their vehicle for Spotted Lanternflies before driving to any other areas outside the quarantine. Something as simple as buying a lawnmower or other piece of outdoor furniture or machinery at a yard sale within the quarantine zone and bringing it to an area outside the quarantine zone can potentially spread this bug. In fact, businesses operating in the quarantine zone need permits to move goods and equipment in and out of the zone. Check out the quarantine in the map below or the checklist on the PDA website. 

Got more Spotted Lanternfly questions? Let us know! 

Sources: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/PlantIndustry/Entomology/spotted_lanternfly/Pages/default.aspx

Penn State Extension https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly

What Insect are YOU?

Take this short quiz to see what you’d be if you were a bug! (No worries, we won’t come out and spray you!) Then check your answers at the bottom!

What’s your work style? 

1. I’m a loner, it’s every man for himself! 

2. Busy busy busy

3. Lots of planning and teamwork!

4. I do what I’m told and nothing else

What’s your food preference? 

1. Anything. I mean ANYTHING.

2. I’ve got a mean sweet tooth

3. Like to eat lots of small meals

4. Plant based all the way!

What’s your favorite hobby? 

1. Eating and feeding my ever-growing family

2. Building things

3. Line dancing with friends

4. Woodworking

Favorite game or sport?

1. Running

2. Boxing

3. Anything with a TEAM

4. Hide and seek

Favorite binge watch? 

1. Anything on the Food Network! Yummy!

2. American Ninja Warrior so I can pick up tips! 

3. Friends, the more the better!

4. This Old House 

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ANSWERS:

If you answered with mostly #1, you’re a cockroach. You’ve survived for millions of years and you’ll survive many more, just doing what you’re doing, eating and reproducing.

If you chose mostly #2, you’re a stinging insect. You’re fiercely territorial and will fight to defend your turf.

If you leaned toward #3, you’re an ant. For you, it’s all about the teamwork with your community and working toward a common goal.

Feeling like #4 describes you? You’re a termite! You’re beneficial in the woods, but in people’s houses? Not so much.

This is all just having some fun, but we’re actually really serious about pests. If you’ve got any of the bugs described here, or anything else, give us a call!

Don't get stung!

Did you know that over a half a million people are treated in ERs for bee stings each year? And that’s not counting the people who have severe allergic reactions!

We’re getting a lot of calls for yellow jackets so far this summer. These are the insects that resemble hornets or wasps and have distinctive yellow and black markings, though some varieties have black and white or red and white markings. They are very resourceful when it comes to nest building and can be found in shrubs, under eaves or in the ground. Contrary to myth, they don’t die when they sting, and can sting more than once. Yellow jackets can also be aggressive, especially when threatened. For this reason it’s NEVER a good idea to attempt to bring down a nest on your own.

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Similar to the yellow jacket is the wasp. The wasp nest is a distinctive papery nest usually in a tree or on the side of a building. Wasps are known to be aggressive, and can sting unprovoked. Sometimes the colony can be home to over 15,000 insects so give them a wide berth and call a pest control specialist. 

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Carpenter bees are also seen around wooden decks and porches this time of year. You don’t need to worry about finding a hive of carpenter bees, because they are solitary and build their nests, or galleries, in wood. While the male carpenter bee is the only you’ll most likely encounter, only the female carpenter bee stings. 

Now that you know the most common stinging insects for the Berks and Lebanon county areas, here’s how to avoid them: 

• Keep your decks, fences and wooden porches painted or stained. This will keep out carpenter bees. Again, only female carpenter bees sting, but the boring will damage your wooden furniture and fixtures.

• When eating outside, keep food covered, especially sweets! 

• Likewise make sure your trash is securely bagged in a covered container. 

• Pay attention to your hair, skin and soap products and what scents they have. Sweet  and strong scents will draw bees, wasps and other insects to you. 

We’ve got a variety of ways to defeat the yellow jacket, as well as other wasps and hornets, which include nest removal, treating the ground nests with pesticide or an aerosol spray to treat a nest that is high off the ground. Again, do not attempt to remove a nest of any kind of stinging insect on your own! Call us to schedule an appointment for safe, complete stinging insect nest removal!