FAQ

Raccoons can become aggressive if cornered and potentially spread rabies. While squirrels can attack if threatened, they rarely do. However, squirrels can cause a lot of damage to your home, both cosmetic and structural. Squirrels can squeeze through gaps along your roofline and get inside where they can chew wires, pipes, and other materials. Raccoons and squirrels can also cause contamination with their waste.

On the other hand, Moles don’t attack people or spread diseases, but they can damage your yard. This damage can weaken areas of the ground and cause tripping hazards.

Overall, it is best to avoid these pests and never try to get rid of them on your own. 

Wildlife pests are used to living close to people and rely on us for easy access to food and other resources. Having damaged fencing or no barriers will make it easier for wildlife to get into your yard in the Gaithersburg area, where they can pick and choose from the many food sources available to them.

Typical food sources for these pests are:

• Bird feeders
• Gardens and fruit trees
• Accessible garbage and compost

A healthy lawn can attract moles because it has soft soil that they can tunnel through and is home to many insects they eat.

The wildlife pests listed above live in different places on your property. These places include:

• Raccoons — in burrows left by other animals, hollow logs, under decks and sheds, and crawl spaces
• Squirrels — in trees but can get inside homes through the roofline and create a nest in the attic
• Moles — tunnel underground and create burrows

While it may not seem that bad to have these animals outside on your property, as you read above, they can cause problems, including damage and contamination of surfaces.

If you are dealing with wildlife on your property, you shouldn’t handle them yourself. Most of these common Gaithersburg pests try to avoid people and can become scared if approached, which may cause them to become aggressive.

Instead of putting yourself and others in danger, contact us at Absolute Home and Pest Solutions. Our service professionals have the training to handle these types of pests. Not only will we help remove active wildlife, but we will also help keep them from coming back again.

Get started with wildlife control for your business today!

Along with professional wildlife control, you should work on making your property less attractive to these pests by using these prevention tips:

• Use outdoor lights at night to keep away nocturnal animals.
• Repair any damaged fencing.
• Replace your garbage cans with ones that have tight-fitting lids.
• Identify any potential entry points into your home and repair them.
• Keep your yard maintained.
• Remove any food sources.

If you need more advice about how to protect your home from wildlife pests, call us at Absolute Home and Pest Solutions!

When a stinging insect stings, they inject venom. People allergic to their venom can experience symptoms like swelling at the sting site, swelling of limbs, intense, fiery pain, and some will experience difficulty breathing.

Unfortunately, stinging insects and people are most active outside at the same time of the year. When stinging insects are sharing your outdoor space, they put you and your family in harm's way every time you do simple things like taking out the trash, gardening or eating outside.

In the fall, most wasp and hornet colonies die off; the queens are the only members of a colony that survive. In the spring, the queen will emerge from her overwintering spot to find a place to build a nest and create a new colony.

Unfortunately, our Maryland yards more often than not provide them with everything they need, including shelter, food, and water sources. Since stinging insects are outdoor pests, it is difficult to stop them from flying into our yards. Regular pest control services are the best way to find and remove a stinging insect nest before the colony becomes too large and puts you, your family, or your pets in significant danger.

Yellow jackets are ground nesters and place their nests under shrubs, porch steps, at the base of trees, or in the abandoned nests of small animals. Unfortunately, they also like to build their nests in wall voids of homes and other structures.

Many wasps and bald-faced hornets will build their nests up off the ground, placing them under overhangs, on tree branches, under roof eaves, and in the corners of windows or doors. They can also create their nests behind window shutters, siding, and around light fixtures.

Stinging insects are not pests you want to tango with; sharing your outdoor spaces with yellow jackets, bald-faced hornets, wasps, and other stinging insects is never a good idea. At Absolute Home and Pest Solutions, we want to help you safely remove stinging insects from your property and provide you with regular services that can prevent future issues with these dangerous pests.

With over 20 years of experience, we know that pest control doesn't have a one-size-fits-all solution, which is why we customize pest control plans for each of our customers! If you are concerned about stinging insects on your property in the Gaithersburg area, give us a call today; we are ready to assist you and remove these unwanted dangerous pests.

Use the following suggestion to help keep stinging insects from taking over your Maryland property:

• Stop stinging insects from feeding on sweet liquids and proteins found in trash cans by always keeping lids on them.
• Avoid attracting stinging insects to eating areas by keeping lids on drink containers and covering food. Bring leftover food into the house immediately after you finish eating.
• Remove flowering vegetation from walkways, steps, and your home's entrances to help stop stinging insects from gathering in high-traffic areas.
• Keep caps on chimneys, places mesh covers over vents, and seal openings in your home's exterior walls to keep stinging insects from finding their way into your home to nest.

For homeowners looking for the best protection against stinging insects and other common household pests, Absolute Home and Pest Solutions has all of your pest control answers! Call today to schedule an appointment or to learn more about our commercial pest control services.

If you look at black widow, brown recluse, and wolf spider pictures, you might think wolf spiders are the most dangerous due to their hairy bodies and because they actively hunt for prey rather than use webs. But the truth is, wolf spiders, like most other species we encounter, are not considered dangerous to people.

All spiders have fangs and venom, but only the black widow and brown recluse are medically dangerous to humans. These spiders aren’t aggressive but will bite if they feel threatened. A bite from these spiders is rarely fatal, but you should always seek medical attention if bitten.

Because the species we have discussed so far do not thrive inside homes, they will likely be more of a problem in your yard. While wolf spiders live in burrows, the black widow and brown recluse species spin webs. They prefer to make their webs in quiet areas that are low to the ground and like wood and piles. If you see a web out in the open between two trees, for example, it doesn’t belong to one of these species.

While they prefer to be outside, these species can wander inside when following prey pests. They will hide under furniture, window frames, and storage areas if this happens. You may also find them in outbuildings such as sheds and garages or basements and attics.

To get rid of spiders from your property, contact us at Absolute Home and Pest Control. Our service professionals are ready to provide spider control for your home to address the common pest pressures in the Gaithersburg area. With a thorough inspection of your home and property, we can explain why you have spiders and provide treatments to remove them.

Below we offer some prevention tips that are helpful when trying to deter spiders, but the best form of pest prevention is ongoing professional assistance. Learn more about the services we offer by reaching out to us at Absolute Home and Pest Control.

To keep spiders away, focus on reducing the factors that attract prey pests to your property. The best way to do this is by removing food, water, and access into your home.

• Remove food: Keep eating areas clear of food debris, store open goods in airtight containers, and keep your home and yard free of garbage. 
• Remove water: Repair leaks, clear your yard of organic debris and ensure your home has proper ventilation. 
• Remove access: Seal any cracks in the exterior of your house, repair damaged screens, trim branches that touch your home, and keep outdoor lights off at night.

Don’t forget to call us at Absolute Home and Pest Control!

Rodents pose significant dangers to both people and our properties. Worldwide, mice and rats spread more than 35 diseases. People can become sick with the illnesses that rodents spread by directly handling them or coming into contact with their excrement, urine, or saliva. Rodents contaminate surfaces and food with the bacteria and pathogens that make us ill when they get into our homes.

Not only do rodents spread diseases, but they also are destructive. To stop their teeth from overgrowing, they gnaw on objects they come across, and when they get into our homes, they damage structural elements and chew through wires, cables, floors, cabinets, and walls. They will also chew holes and damage clothing, shoes, bedding, and upholstered furniture.

It is not uncommon for a rodent infestation to be the root cause of short circuits, fires, and leaky pipes. You should never underestimate the problems rodents and their teeth cause.

The good news when it comes to rodents is that you usually won’t have an infestation of both rats and mice at the same time; it will be one or the other. The reason a mouse or rat has found their way to your property is that they know it can provide them with access to multiple food and water sources and places to hide.

Both rats and mice are prey animals and do their best to keep away from people and larger animal predators, including your family’s cat! A rodent infestation can remain hidden for some time because they are experts at hiding. Signs that typically indicate a rodent infestation include:

• A stale, musty odor in your home that suddenly pops up.
• Rodent droppings on the floor along walls, in cupboards, and under sinks.
• Nesting materials such as shredded paper and fabric around walls or in cabinets or storage boxes.
• Small holes in food packaging or cabinets that look like gnawing teeth made them.
• Grease or dirt marks along walls.

As soon as you think rodents have found their way onto your Maryland property, reach out to us for professional help. The sooner we eradicate the rodents, the better!

Where rodents prefer to live does depend on their species, but what all rodents have in common is that they like to build their nesting sites in sheltered locations that keep them safe from the elements and nosy predators.

Norway rats prefer to live at ground level, and when they are outside, they like to burrow under things like construction debris, woodpiles, and dense landscaping. Inside our homes, they nest at ground level behind walls, in crawl spaces, and under clutter.

Roof rats are small, agile rodents that are excellent climbers. They like to build nests up off the ground in trees, shrubs, and roof eaves. Inside they like to nest in attics, the tops of cabinets, and behind wall voids.

House mice and field mice both regularly find their way into our homes. Field mice are most common in the homes located in rural areas near fields, meadows, and other large open areas. House mice are known to develop large populations in more urban areas and suburban areas where there is plenty of food and shelter for them to thrive.

Use the following suggestion to help keep rodents from taking over your Maryland property:

• Clear away anything that could provide rodents with cover like leaf piles, woodpiles, construction debris, fallen trees.
• Secure potential food sources by keeping lids on trash cans, recycling bins, and compost bins.
• Remove things like bird feeders, uneaten pet food, and leftover food from outdoor eating areas to stop them from foraging for food in your yard.
• Keep the grass in your yard cut short and regularly cut back and prune shrubs and bushes.
• Seal gaps around water pipes, utility lines, vents, crawl space access, and doors. Use a material that can stand up to their sharp teeth like steel wool, sheet metal, galvanized hardware cloth.
• Maintain a clean kitchen, regularly vacuum your home, and store your family’s food safely in the fridge or airtight containers.

For homeowners looking for the best protection against rodents and other common household pests, Absolute Home and Pest Solutions is your pest control answer! You can also read our blog for more information "Gaithersburg Homeowners' Complete Guide To Effective Rodent Control".

You might not think moths are dangerous because they are very similar to butterflies. But the truth is these moths can contaminate food with their eggs and larvae. Not only can this lead to food poisoning in certain situations, but dealing with these common Gaithersburg pests is stressful!

Always discard infested goods in a garbage can outside your home. And while it may not be necessary, you should consider getting rid of other opened items even if they are not damaged or infested.

To prevent moths in the future, use these tips:

• Inspect dry goods before purchasing them from the store.
• Transfer dry goods to clear containers with tight-fitting lids.
• Keep doors and windows without screens closed as much as possible and repair any damaged screens.
• Keep lights off at night when possible.

To ensure that you have the protection you need against these pests, partner with us at Absolute Home and Pest Solutions.

You will most likely find the moths mentioned above in kitchens and food storage areas. As stated early, these moths lay their eggs on food sources, which are usually dry goods. So, common places to find them are pantries and cabinets.

They are also attracted to light, so you may see them hanging around electronics that emit light or fixtures around your home.

If you believe you have a moth infestation, you should contact us at Absolute Home and Pest Solutions. We provide single, monthly, and quarterly services to ensure you get the pest control you need.

We thoroughly inspect your property before implementing any treatments to meet your pest control needs. This inspection will enable us to understand the pest pressures you face and the conducive conditions on your property that attract pests. Unlike other companies, we take the time to inform you about the pests you are experiencing and how you can best protect your home against them.

Call today to get started with your Absolute Home and Pest Solutions’ services today or to learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest control options!

Females feed on blood to get the proteins they need to develop healthy eggs. As they feed on different people and animal hosts, they are infected with and transmit various pathogens and parasites to new hosts. Mosquitoes can spread encephalitis, West Nile virus, malaria, Zika, and parasitic heartworms. The health risks that mosquitoes pose make them very unwanted in any backyard.

In addition to spreading diseases, mosquito bites themselves are uncomfortable and unpleasant. No one wants to deal with red, itchy mosquitoes bites after spending time outside.

Mosquitoes hang out in areas that provide them with food, resting spots, and of course, ample breeding sites.

Food: The female’s and male’s primary food source is nectar, so flowers, flowering trees, and flowering landscaping are all attractive to mosquitoes. Female mosquitoes also consume blood meals from people, pets, and other warm-blooded animals.

Resting spots: During the day, mosquitoes like to stay out of the direct sunlight by taking cover in tall grass or weeds, under tree canopies, within woodpiles, or under decks.

Breeding sites: Mosquitoes lay their eggs wherever there is standing water. Buckets, tree hollows, clogged gutters, overwatered gardens, low-lying areas that flood regularly, and areas with yard debris or other clutter where rainwater collects can all act as breeding sites.

At Absolute Home and Pest Solutions, we want to help you make your Maryland backyard a place you can enjoy by controlling mosquito populations. We will provide a treatment every three weeks to reduce the number of mosquitoes living and breeding on your property through our seasonal mosquito control service.

With over 20 years of experience, we know that pest control doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all solution, which is why we work diligently to customize pest control plans for each customer we serve! If mosquitoes are swarming your property, give Absolute Home and Pest Solutions a call today.

Use the following suggestion to help keep mosquitoes from taking over your property in the Gaithersburg area.

• Clean up yard clutter that can allow rainwater to collect.
• Keep grass short, especially around fences, walkways, and porch steps.
• Repair low-lying areas in your yard that can collect rainwater.
• Keep gutters clear of debris and make sure downspouts are working to direct water away from your home.
• Store containers upside down when you aren’t using them to keep water from collecting in them.
• Regularly empty and refill with fresh water things like pet water dishes and wading pools.

For the best protection against mosquitoes and other common household pests, Absolute Home and Pest Solutions is the answer to all your pest control needs.

There is a laundry list of dangers associated with cockroaches which is why these pests are so unwanted in our homes.

• Cockroaches spread pathogens that can make people ill and cause gastrointestinal problems.
• Cockroaches carry and spread parasites.
• These insects are prolific breeders and live in homes in large difficult-to-manage numbers.
• A cockroach infestation puts many allergens into the air that can cause skin rashes, cold symptoms, breathing difficulties, and asthma attacks. 
• When cockroaches are in our homes, they contaminate food sources, cause food waste, and stain walls and upholstery with their excrement.

Like the American cockroach and Oriental cockroach, many cockroaches live quite successfully outdoors in Maryland. However, these roaches don't just stay outside and regularly find their way into our homes while searching for food and water.

On the other hand, the German cockroach has adapted to living indoors, calling our homes, restaurants, grocery stores, and food storage facilities home. They move from place to place in furniture, appliances, electronics, and cardboard boxes.

Cockroaches will move from unit to unit through vents, cracks in ceilings, and gaps under doors in apartment buildings, and their flat oval bodies enable them to squeeze through the tightest spaces and into any of our homes.

To know where you will find cockroaches, your first need to understand what cockroaches are like. A few of the cockroach's favorite things are dampness, darkness, newspapers, cardboard, and of course, food!

When cockroaches have found their way into a home, they are most likely to gather in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, crawl spaces, above ceilings, and behind cabinets and large appliances. Oriental cockroaches, more than the other species, prefer to live near sources of water and are regularly found near drains, pipes, sinks, toilets, and tubs.

Reaching out to us at Absolute Home and Pest Solutions is the best way to eliminate cockroaches in your home and prevent future problems with these dangerous pests.

With over 20 years of experience, we know that pest control doesn't have a one-size-fits-all solution, which is why we customize pest control plans for each of our customers! Whether you are looking for a single service, monthly services, or quarterly services, we can provide you with the exact services necessary to solve your property's pest problems. Learn more about cockroaches in this blog "How To Get Rid Of Roaches In Your Gaithersburg Home" or call today to learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest control options. 

Use the following suggestions to help keep cockroaches from taking over your Maryland property:

• Keep cockroaches from moving into your home through defects in the exterior by installing weatherstripping around windows and doors, sealing cracks in the foundation, and placing door sweeps on all exterior doors. Place mesh covers over drains and vents entering your home.
• Eliminate food that cockroaches can feed on inside or outside your home by keeping lids on trash cans and recycling bins. Maintaining a clean kitchen, regularly vacuuming your home, and wiping down surfaces frequently are also essential.
• Most cockroaches gravitate to moisture, so doing things like repairing leaky pipes and using dehumidifiers and air conditioners can make your home less appealing to these pests.
• Since cockroaches regularly hitchhike from place to place, it is important to always inspect furniture, boxes, bags, and deliveries for cockroaches before bringing them into your home.

For the best protection against cockroaches and other common household pests, Absolute Home and Pest Solutions is your pest control answer!

Currently, bed bugs aren't known to transmit diseases to people; however, bugs biting you at night while you sleep is never an ideal situation. In addition, an allergic reaction or secondary infection can occur that requires medical attention.

Having a bed bug infestation does not just affect a person's physical health, but their mental health as well. It is challenging to feel comfortable in a structure that you share with bed bugs, and their presence can ruin anyone's ability to get a good night's sleep.

Bed bugs may not fly, but they are skilled climbers, which helps them hitchhike from place to place. Bed bugs will crawl and climb onto people, furniture, bags, and even electronics and go wherever we take them.

Some of the most common places to come into contact with bed bugs are public locations where there is a steady stream of people coming and going on a daily basis. Airports, hotels, apartment buildings, schools, dormitories, and laundry mats are examples of places where initial contact with bed bugs can happen.

Bed bugs like to hang out in areas that put them into contact with people when they are still or immobile, like the seams of mattresses, behind the cushions of upholstered furniture, and cracks in wooden footboards and headboards. However, as an infestation grows within a home, bed bugs will move throughout it and hide in many different areas like behind baseboards, curtains, within electronics, and behind pictures or other wall hangings.

Now that you know where to find bed bugs in your home, it may be interesting to learn how they find us. Bed bugs locate their human hosts through our body heat, the carbon dioxide we emit as we breathe, and the odors we naturally produce.

Use the following suggestions to help prevent bed bugs from taking over your Maryland home:

• Always inspect secondhand furniture and mattresses for bed bugs. If possible, it may even be best to avoid secondhand items altogether!
• Keep your belongings up off the ground when you are in public places.
• Be vigilant against bed bugs when you travel, and always inspect hotel rooms before bringing your luggage inside.
• Take care when using shared laundry facilities; always take your laundry home to fold. 
• Regularly vacuum your floors and upholstered furniture and routinely change your family's bedding.
• Take the time to inspect the areas of your home where bed bugs are most likely to gather; the sooner you discover a bed bug infestation, the better!

For bed bug control in Baltimore County, Absolute Home and Pest Solutions is the answer to all your pest control needs.

Most ant species are not dangerous to people; however, their presence can cause a lot of stress for the people whose homes they infest. And even if they don't spread diseases, ants can still contaminate food and surfaces, leading to food poisoning.

Although they are not as destructive as other wood-destroying pests, carpenter ants can create cosmetic and structural damage that can be dangerous depending on how extensive it is.

Ants are scavengers that are not very picky about what they eat. Ants can get into garbage, compost, gardens, and eating areas where crumbs and open containers lure them in. When ants find a good food source, they emit chemicals that attract more ants from their colony.

In addition, water-damaged and decaying wood attracts carpenter ants!

Ants will go where the food is and why you may be seeing trails of ants around your yard and in your home. Ants often gravitate to kitchens, eating areas, and bathrooms because they can easily access food and water in these locations.

Some species like carpenter and pavement ants you'll find in specific places. If you have a carpenter ant infestation, you may not see them at all as they create their nests inside damaged wood. On the other hand, pavement ants you'll see traveling in and out of cracks in pavement and concrete.

You can trust our experts here at Absolute Home and Pest Solutions for quick and effective ant control. Our service professionals know all about the ants you may be dealing with and how to treat them. We provide services based on your needs rather than rely on ineffective one-size-fits-all approaches.

You can easily get started with the home pest control or commercial pest control services we offer for ants by contacting Absolute Home and Pest Solutions today!

Don't let these annoying pests reinfest your home. Make your property less attractive to ants by using these prevention steps:

• Remove entry points by installing weatherstripping, repairing screens, and filling any holes in your foundation and exterior walls.
• Keep the interior and exterior of your property free of food sources by removing crumbs, rinsing out containers before throwing them away, and storing food properly.
• Reduce moisture on your property by removing unnecessary organic materials from your yard, fixing leaks, and wiping down showers and sinks to remove water.

Keep ants and other pests away with our assistance; call Absolute Home and Pest Solutions today!