How to Safely Remove a Wasp Nest from your Yard
Guide to Safely Remove Wasp Nest
While they won’t cause much harm to you (unless you’re allergic), your pets or your property, the presence of wasps in our backyard can cause much anxiety. An active wasp nest can house up to 10,000 wasps in the peak of summer! That’s enough to keep anyone indoors. While we always recommend hiring a professional pest control expert to remove a wasp nest from your yard, there are a few tips we can recommend if you’re bold enough to try it yourself. Safety must be your #1 concern; do not attempt wasp nest removal unless you have all the proper equipment. Relying on a professional is the best way to ensure property wasp nest removal.
5 Easy Steps to Remove Wasp Nest
Invest in PPE & Professional Products: Personal protective equipment (PPE) and Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) are the only way to fully protect you from wasp stings.
Approach only at Nighttime: A wasp nest should only be approached in the late evening when wasps are dormant and all the workers and the queen are present. This ensures you get rid of the entire colony & minimizes your chance of getting stung.
Spray Wasp Nest: Douse the nest in a high-grade wasp nest spray; make sure you invest in a very good one. It is a good idea to use the full can to ensure the effectiveness of the product.
Cover Nest with Garbage Bag: Once activity has died down, slowly place a garbage bag over the nest and detach it from the tree or wall and seal the bag. Put the sealed bag into a garbage can with a fitted lid and keep it far away from the house.
Call a Professional Pest Control Company: As professional wasp exterminators, Richmond Pest Control has access to a variety of products not available to the public. Further, we are highly trained to remove wasp nests that are in hard-to-reach places like under gutters or high in a tree. When in doubt of your abilities to safely remove a wasp nest, call the professionals.
Wasp, Hornet & Yellow Jacket Exterminators
Our licensed pest control technicians will inspect your property to identify both in ground or hanging nests and determine the best course of action to remove these stinging insects. Backed by 25+ years of experience, trust Richmond Pest Control for all your pest, rodent and insect infestation extermination needs! Visit our Pest Library to see a full list of the insects we can eliminate and prevent in your home or office building.
Interesting Facts About the Beloved Honey Bee
Honey Bee & Colony Facts you Probably Didn’t Know
The honey bee is one of the most interesting insects on planet Earth. Not only are they the only insect to produce food eaten by humans, but they are vital to our very existence! Richmond Pest Control highlights some of the most fascinating facts, information and quick snippets about Apis mellifera, more commonly known as the honey bee.
10 Fascinating Honey Bee Facts
Help Plants Grow: Roughly 80% of the fruits, vegetables and seeds grown in the United States were pollinated by honey bees!
Colonies are Divided into 3 Groups: Every member of the hive is divided into either the Queen, worker bees or drones.
- Queen: There is only ever 1 queen who runs the entire hive and colony. Her sole job is to lay eggs for the next generation of bees.
- Workers: Only females can be a worker bee. They generally stay close to the hive in order to fulfill their job of foraging for pollen and nectar, building & protecting the hive and clean & circulate air.
- Drones: The drone bees are only males and their role in the colony is to mate with the queen bee. While they are allowed inside the hive in the spring and summer, they are kicked out once the cold season starts!
Fly around 15MPH: Their small but mighty wings can reach speeds up to 15 MPH and beat around 200 times per second!
Great Sense of Smell: They need a great sense of smell in order to communicate with their fellow hive members and recognize different types of flowers.
Queen Bees Lay up to 2,500 Eggs per Day: She is especially busy during the summertime!
Only Female Honey bees Sting: Drones do not have the ability to sting, only female honey bees have stingers. However, if you are stung it is probably by a worker bee.
Male Honey bees (drones) Die After Mating with the Queen.
Foraging Honey bees Have to Visit 2 million flowers to produce 1 pound of honey.
A Colony has about 50,000 Workers.
Honey bees Can’t See Red: Many species of bees are incapable of seeing the color red. But the honey bee can still visit red flowers, because they can see the U.V. patterns.
As a pest control and extermination company, Richmond Pest Control understands the importance of preserving and saving these insects. If you have a large honey bee hive on your property, call a professional pest control company for a safe and humane relocation. Do not attempt to remove the hive and under no circumstance should you try to destroy it. Honey bees are an important insect that must be protected. Learn about other beneficial insects that should not be harmed or killed!
Easy & Effective Ant Pest Control Methods
Ant Pest Control: Tips to Keeps Ants out of your Kitchen
Ants are one of the peskiest spring and summertime bugs to deal with, both inside & outside the home. The warm spring and summer weather are primetime for an ant invasion in almost any residential property. Fortunately, there are several ant pest control techniques that can keep an infestation from ruining your backyard picnic, outdoor party or invading your kitchen! The experts at Richmond Pest Control offer a guide to keep ants away from your home this summer!
5 Effective Ant Pest Control Tips
Secure & Seal Food & Garbage: Crumbs, open sources of food and garbage reciprocals are a breeding ground for hungry ants in search of sustenance for their colony – and they are not picky eaters! Once a single ant has found a viable food source, they’re sure to go back and let the rest of the members know. Before you get out of bed the next morning you’ve got a full-on ant invasion.
Thoroughly Clean Countertops: Sticking with the food tips, ants can detect even the tiniest crumbs of food. Not only should your food be properly stored, but your countertops and kitchen floor should be cleaned & swept daily in the spring and summertime. This ant pest control technique will ensure they stay out of your home’s kitchen.
Inspect Windows & Doors: Even if they can’t readily identify food, hungry ants will go out in search of any morsel they can find. The easiest way for them to enter your home: cracks, holes, rips & broken seals in the windows & doors. These tiny pests can fit through the smallest opening to invade your kitchen. Regularly inspect your windows & doors and fix any entrance points you find to keep ants out.
Follow the Ants to Find the Source: While dealing with an ant invasion is frustrating, you can actually use the pests to detect the colony’s nest. Simply follow the line of ants both ways to identify the source of food and their location. You can then try liquid bait or bait traps to eliminate small infestations.
Contact Pest Control Professionals: For large ant invasions, it is highly recommended to call a professional ant pest control company. Equipped with years of professional experience and expert knowledge, we’ll remove the source of the problem and provide treatment options to prevent further infestations.
Pest Prevention Tips
Richmond Pest Control provides a variety of safe and effective pest control services to get rid of bed bugs, ticks, wildlife, rodents and much more! If your home is facing a pest problem, don’t try ineffective DIY methods. Call the experts immediately to eliminate the pests and prevent future invasions. Read more about ant pest control & extermination services.
Termite Prevention Tips for Business Owners
Effective Business Property Prevention Tips
As a business owner you already have enough on your plate. Between payroll, hiring, inventory and a slew of other day to day tasks, the last thing you want to find on your property are the indications of a termite infestation. While you should always call a professional pest control company first, there are some preventative measures you can take. Keep your commercial premises safe from these nasty pests by following Richmond Pest Control’s effective termite prevention tips for business owners.
7 Termite Prevention Tips for Businesses
Termite Treated Wood: Invest in wood that has been chemically treated for termite prevention. Termite resistant wood will give you extra protection against these invasive pests.
Control Moisture: The #1 reason a business owner finds themselves dealing with a termite infestation is because of moisture buildup. Termites are insatiable for moisture and seek it out at all costs. Regularly look for and immediately clean standing water inside and outside your commercial property.
Clean & Remove Debris: Keep the exterior of your commercial property free of fallen branches, overgrown grass and dense vegetation. This will keep your business looking pristine, but also prevent termites from nesting in the overgrowth.
Fix Exterior Damage: Not only should you repair damages to siding, gutters and roofing to keep the structure of your building sound, but this will also prevent moisture buildup – the biggest attraction for termites.
Check & Repair Seals: Termites can enter your commercial property easily through tiny openings in your seals. Regularly inspect the seals around all doors and windows and immediately caulk any gaps you find.
Regular Termite Inspections: While a residential termite prevention inspection is necessary just once per year, business owners should strongly consider scheduling this service twice per year. Termite inspections are the best way to identify and stop infestations before they happen.
Call Professional Pest Control: Hiring a professional extermination and pest control company is the only way to treat & prevent termites in your place of work. DIY methods are simply not enough to control or eliminate a terminate infestation at your business.
Commercial Property Protection from Pests
If you notice any potential signs of termite damage, call a professional pest control company right away. Swift action is the best way to stop major costly destruction to your business property or foundation of your building. Richmond Pest Control in Staten Island, NY offers effective pest control solutions for termites, bed bugs, rodents, wildlife, invasive insects and more. Call 718-667-5200 to discuss your pest control needs in Staten Island and the surrounding boroughs, as well as Central NJ.
Effective Winter Pest Control Tips
Simple Winter Pest Control & Prevention Tips
Pests are most commonly associated with the spring & summer seasons when the weather is nice and the ticks, mosquitos, wasps and other flying insects are very active. However, winter is also a prime season for pests looking for a place to store food, hibernate and keep warm through the frigid months. Richmond Pest Control has provided 7 simple yet effective winter pest control tips to ensure your home & business stay free of mice, rodents, cockroaches and other nasty pests.
7 Winter Pest Control Tips
Don’t leave food out: Leftovers on the countertop or a sink full of dishes with crumbs are easy bait for mice and bugs. Make sure your food is always stored in airtight containers & properly stored and your dishes are soaking in soapy water to prevent attractive smells. This is one of the easiest ways to prevent an ant infestation, among other pests.
Keep trash covered & dispose regularly: Invest in good quality indoor and outdoor trash cans with lids that tightly seal. Trash is a breeding ground for pests all year long! Furthermore, outdoor cans should be kept as close to the street as possible.
Seal cracks & holes: The easiest way for unwanted winter pests to sneak into your warm house is through cracks and holes in the foundation. A mouse or cockroach can squeeze through even the tiniest openings. Every few months it is a good idea to thoroughly inspect your foundation and areas where utilities and pipes enter the home. Any signs of cracks or holes should be sealed immediately.
Install screens over chimney vents: Not only does a chimney screen protect your fireplace flue from rain & debris, but it also prevents squirrels, chipmunks and mice from falling in and entering your home.
Eliminate moisture: Leaking pipes and clogged drains in your kitchen, bathroom, basement and laundry room are a breeding ground for a cockroach infestation. Check these spaces regularly, clean up any water residue and call a plumber if it is a consistent issue.
Store firewood 20+ feet from the house: Mice, ants and termites use wood piles to make their nests. An easy winter pest control tip is to keep your wood pile far away from your home.
Call a licensed pest control company: It is recommended to have a pest control inspection to your home or business at least twice per year: before winter & before spring/summer. A licensed pest exterminator will be able to prevent any infestations using safe preventative treatments.
Protect your Home from Winter Pests
Don’t let the cold & frigid winter weather fool you, there are always pests lurking about trying to invade your space. Call 718-667-5200 to schedule a winter pest control maintenance inspection in your residential or commercial property. Richmond Pest Control are experts in the prevention & extermination of bed bugs, rodents, invasive insects, termites and all other nasty pests known in the Staten Island, NY area.
All Natural Mosquito Repellents
Mosquito Repellents & Control Tips
The summer months are meant to be spent in your backyard enjoying the beautiful weather. Between cooking on the grill, lounging by the pool or just soaking in the summer sunset, during these moments of relaxation the last thing you want to worry about are mosquitos biting away at your ankles! Richmond Pest Control has provided some creative, all natural mosquito repellents and control tips to keep these nasty pests at bay while you’re enjoying summer backyard bliss. Properly prepare your backyard using our mosquito repellent tips, as well as consulting with a pest control professional for added protection.
6 Natural Mosquito Repellents
Plant Herbs: The summertime is perfect season for growing a beautiful backyard garden. Make sure to include plants that double as mosquito repellents like lemongrass, basil, thyme and marigolds to cut back on the pests in your yard. You can also burn these herbs while cooking on your grill.
Remove Standing Water: Mosquitos love still, standing water – it is literally a breeding ground and a place to lay their eggs. Daily or every other day you should inspect your backyard for still water and get rid of it immediately. Hotspots include bird baths, clogged roof gutters, buckets & toys.
Spread Coffee Grounds: Scatter coffee grounds in your garden, along the lining of your deck and patio and/or keep inside bowls and place it next to you. Not only is this an eco-friendly way to reduce food waste, but it is a great all natural repellent to mosquitos.
Install a Fan: Mosquitos are weak fliers, so a simple installation of a ceiling fan in your gazebo or bringing a tower fan outside can help tremendously to keep these pests away from you.
Burn Sage: Build a bonfire and throw in a bundle of save to smoke out and repel mosquitos and other flying insects. See other easy tricks to throw a bug-free outdoor party.
Call the Professionals: When all else fails or for extra prevention, call a professional pest control company. Richmond Pest Control provides flying insect pest control services for mosquitos, flies and other such insects. We’ll spray a 21 day barrier solution throughout your backyard, which is safe, non-toxic and highly effective against mosquitos and flies.
Mosquito Pest Control Company
The above tips for all natural mosquito repellents will go a long way to ward off these pests while you’re trying to relax in your backyard oasis during the summer months. For stronger solutions or any other pest problem in your home it is best to consult with a professional pest control company. Call Richmond Pest Control at 718-667-5200 for an evaluation of your property. Our expert exterminators will offer effective methods to remove and/or prevent any kind of pest infestation.
Termite Prevention Tips for Homeowners
Indoor & Outdoor Termite Prevention Tips
Termites are a nightmare for homeowners and widely known as a pest that causes the most monetary damage once an infestation starts. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) estimates termites cost $5 billion in damages to homes and business in the United States annually. Termite prevention is a two-part practice, consisting of treating the infestation colony and stopping termites from entering your home. Richmond Pest Control, a professional pest extermination company in Staten Island NY, offers 10 easy termite prevention tips for homeowners to keep these dangerous pests away from your property.
Top 10 Termite Prevention Tips
Monitor Activity: The first step in prevention is to consistently monitory wooded areas around your home for termite activity. Pest control professionals will also recommend installing monitoring stations, which do not protect against infestation, but will provide initial warning signs.
Remove Dead Trees: A breeding ground for termite colonies, dead trees should be removed immediately.
Use Termite Treated Wood: In gardens, for retaining walls or fences, all wood used on your property should be pre-treated for termites.
Check Door & Window Seals: Prevent access by properly sealing all cracks in siding, rooftops, windows and doors. Also be sure to check your screen doors for rips and tears.
Repair Damaged Areas: Cracked or broken weather strips, paneling and siding must be repaired and/or replaced immediately. Even the smallest entry point is enough for a termite and it’s colony to invade your home and wreak havoc.
Reduce Moisture: Termite colonies need moisture to survive, to ensure effective termite prevention make sure your home is dry. Clean up puddles of water, repair leaking pipes and install dehumidifiers if you basement or crawl space is especially humid.
Store Wood Properly: Whether used for fireplaces, wood stoves or an outdoor fire pit, all wood should be stored at least 20 feet from your home.
Inspect Exterior Wood: You should frequently inspect those wood piles for any signs of termite infestation. You do not want to invite the colony into your home by carrying their food source right to your door.
Reduce Food Sources: The main food source of termites is a sugar called cellulose, which is present in wood and clothing. Again, make sure to keep all wood a good distance from your home and don’t leave clothing piles scattered around.
Annual Termite Inspections: While many of our above methods are DIY termite prevention tips, the best way to ensure your home is safe is to call a professional pest control company for an annual termite inspection. These home examinations will help to stop any issues before they arise. Exterminators will not only look for telltale signs of a termite infestation, but also use preventative treatment methods to keep pests away.
Protect your Home from Termites & Pests
Your home is your largest investment, be sure to protect it by carefully following the Richmond Pest Control termite prevention guidelines. Business owners, click here for preventative tips on your commercial property. To schedule your preventative termite maintenance inspection, call our professional exterminators at 718-667-5200 today. Besides termites, we’re available for a wide variety of pest control services including bed bugs, rodents, infestations, pigeon control, fleas and more! Richmond Pest Control proudly serves Staten Island, NY as well as the surrounding boroughs and into Central, NJ for your convenience.
Cockroach Facts Every Homeowner Should Know
Cockroach Facts Homeowners Should be Aware Of
There are several misconceptions about cockroaches that many people believe, but simply are not true. The biggest universally accepted myth is that cockroaches are the only living thing that can survive a nuclear explosion. While that sounds great for the plot of a creepy sci-fi movie, is just simply not reality. Richmond Pest Control wants to shed light on 10 important cockroach facts that every homeowner should know. Being aware of these strange and bizarre cockroach facts may help to prevent an infestation in your home.
10 Fascinating Cockroach Facts
The American cockroach is attracted to beer. A favorite among a lot of pest species, such as flies and ants, the hops and sugar present in this beverage also attract cockroaches. To avoid an infestation be sure to dump empty beer and liquor bottles down the train and bring to your recycling bin, which should be kept at a distance from your home.
Cockroaches can live for 30 days without food. But, they can only survive one week without water. That’s why they’re commonly found in places with high humidity such as bathroom or basement.
There are 4,000+ species worldwide. The most common is America is the brown-banded cockroach, American cockroach and oriental cockroach.
A cockroach can live 1 week WITHOUT A HEAD! Probably the creepiest fact on this list. They’ll use other parts of the body to breathe since they’re not dependent on their mouth or head.
Capable of running up to 3 miles per hour. This impressive speed gives them the ability to spread germs and bacteria throughout your home very quickly.
Newborn cockroaches can run just as fast as their parents. Baby cockroaches are the size of a speck of dust. These practically invisible pests are spreading bacteria through your home at a rapid rate.
Cockroaches are dirty & dangerous. A well-known cockroach fact, these dirty pests are known to carry viruses, bacteria and diseases. They carry filth with them from dumpsters and sewers and are known to carry the eggs of parasitic worms.
Can survive submerged under water for 30+ minutes. Flushing cockroaches down the toilet is a completely useless means of getting rid of these nasty pests.
Newborns become adults in ~36 days. After birth, they grow, feed and begin reproducing very quickly.
DIY methods do not work. If you discover a few cockroaches in your home, you can rest assure there are dozens more hiding in cracks and crevices you cannot see. Cleaning, laying traps and bombing prove ineffective, because cockroaches reproduce faster than these methods can kill them. The best way to rid your home of a cockroach infestation is to call a professional pest control company.
Effective Cockroach Extermination in Staten Island, NY
You can safeguard your home against cockroaches by minimizing clutter, regular & thorough cleanings and making sure your garbage and recycling bins are kept away from your home. But once an infestation has been established it is nearly impossible to stop it on your own. If you need pest control solutions from cockroaches, termites, bed bugs, fleas or any other invasive insects, call the professionals at Richmond Pest Control. We offer highly effective, safe & all natural pest control and extermination services in Staten Island, NY and the surrounding boroughs. We also partner with a NJ-based company for pest control in Atlantic City, NJ. For more fascinating information on insects, check out 10 Fascinating Bee Facts.
Beneficial Insects you Should Not Kill
Environmentally Beneficial Insects You Shouldn’t Kill
While some may find insects to be pesky, annoying and even disgusting, many of the bugs we come across should not be disturbed or killed because of their beneficial contributions to the 
environment. As a professional pest control company, we’ve encountered millions of various bug species throughout our years in business. Our trained pest control technicians know which insects should be extracted and which should be exterminated. We’d like to enlighten our clients about several beneficial insects you should never kill, no matter how annoying or gross they may seem. If any of the bugs we’ve outlined below are invading your home or business, don’t kill them call Richmond Pest Control today for professional pest control services in Staten Island, NY.
6 Beneficial Insects you Should Not Kill
Honey Bees
Why: Honey bees are one of the most valuable bugs in our ecosystem. In order to survive they must collect nectar and pollen, as they do this they pollinate flowers and crop. A single honey bee can pollinate 50-100 flowers in a single day. They’re also the only insect to create a food consumed by humans. If you have a honeybee problem near your home or business, Richmond Pest Control works with local beekeepers to adopt and protect your unwanted bees.
Lady Bugs
Why: These harmless insects will do wonders to protect your garden from mites, fruit flies and many other damaging insects.
Praying Mantises
Why: Another helpful bug for avid gardeners, a single praying mantis can help control the insect population of a medium-size garden.
Butterflies
Why: Not only are butterflies beautiful to admire on a gorgeous spring day, they also help to pollinate the plants and flowers in your yard.
Dragonflies
Why: Dragonflies have a large appetite and vast taste for other insects. Most importantly, they devour all of these pesky mosquitoes ruining your outdoor living space.
Household Spiders
Why: While some spiders, mainly the brown recluse and black widows, are harmful to humans the vast majority of spiders pose no threat. Common household spiders actually feed on other insects and control the pest population in the darkest corners of your home. However, if you find an overwhelming amount of spiders in your home, call for our pest control services to have them safely extracted.
Safe Pest Extraction
If any of the above beneficial insects are invading your home or office building, while harmless it is still a nuisance. Call Richmond Pest Control for safe and effective pest control and preventative measures throughout Staten Island, NY and the surrounding areas. With over 25 years of industry experience, our pest control technicians have the knowledge and equipment to extract and remove harmless pests and insects from your property.
5 Tips to Host a Bug-Free Outdoor Party
5 Tips to Keep your Outdoor Party Bug-Free
Spring and summer’s beautiful warm weather calls for BBQs, pool parties and a slew of other outdoor celebrations. While you are definitely inviting friends, family and neighbors, bees, mosquitos, ants, flies and other nasty bugs are NOT on your guest list. However, you may find them slipping through security and buzzing around your party bothering your guests if you don’t prepare your backyard properly. Richmond Pest Control, a professional pest extermination company in Staten Island, has come up with the 5 easiest tips to keep your next outdoor party bug-free.
Easy Tricks to Throw a Bug-Free Outdoor Party
Tip 1: Cover your Food & Cups. Bugs are attracted to the sweet, delicious scents of food and drinks. Use cups with lids and straws, or cover them with cupcake liners when you’re not sipping. Similarly, keep all food indoors and discard leftovers immediately. This is the easiest way eliminate pesky flies and mosquitos.
Tip 2: Build a bug-free bonfire. Throw a bundle of sage into your bonfire as a clever way to smoke out and repel mosquitos and other flying insects.
Tip 3: Drain Standing Water. Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitos. Before hosting an outdoor event, go around your yard and find places water gathers such as buckets, kiddie pools, bird baths and gutters. While these should be emptied regularly, it is especially important before hosting guests outdoors.
Tip 4: Cut your Grass. Many flying insects, like mosquitos and bees, are drawn to high grass and weeds. They use the tall, thick grass to hide ground nests and for a quiet place to mate. Keep your grass short to help keeps bugs away.
Tip 5: Traditional bug spray. A classic remedy to an age-old problem. Make sure whichever brand you choose, it contains DEET, which is the gold-standard for all repellents. DEET is a safe and effective insect repellent developed by the U.S. Army and used since 1946.
Tip 6: Natural Mosquito Repellents. Not all repellents have to contain harsh chemicals. There are several plants that provide a natural repellent, as well as many DIY tricks.
Read More: All Natural Backyard Mosquito Repellents.
Insect Pest Control Specialists
These simple tips and tricks will work wonders to ward off the occasional fly, mosquito and bee during your casual backyard BBQ. However, if you have feel like you have a more severe pest problem call our Staten Island insect pest control company today. We’ll come to your home for an evaluation and offer several effective methods to terminate and remove an insect infestation. For year-round prevention against bugs & rodents, see our winter pest control tips.