While guests in the home are often a delight, unwanted guests evoke feelings of disgust and panic. Mice are some of the most common home invaders to cause serious damage and threat of disease. Take control of your dwelling by learning seven signs of a mice infestation brought you by the rodent exterminators of Alliance Pest Management. #1: Chewed Containers Food is the main attraction for mice entering your home. As soon as they arrive, they sniff out the cabinets and pantries and get to work. If you notice jagged holes in boxes, tears in wrappers or shredded bits of food on the shelves, you are not alone. Throw out any food that has been contaminated, as mice carry diseases such as salmonella and hantavirus. #2: Disgusting Droppings Mice constantly relieve themselves in dark and hidden areas of your home. Their distinctive droppings look like black grains of rice, measuring...

Have you ever found yourself picking or scratching at a random bump that wasn’t there the day before? In some cases, you don’t have to worry about this red spot, but in other cases, you have something worse — an insect bite. A majority of insect bites that occur are from pests. If you have ever caught yourself saying, “What’s biting me?”, then you need to check out this guide about pests that bite.  Biting Insects The most common pest bites people get are from biting insects. In most cases, bug bites are harmless and only leave red patches, rashes, or bumps; however, some bites carry life-threatening diseases like Lyme disease. Pests that intentionally bite include bedbugs, fleas, ticks, lice, mosquitoes, and horseflies. If you do have any of these bites, you can use over-the-counter medications or creams to soothe any pain. If you notice the red bumps, rashes or...

What Are Africanized Bees?   The Africanized bee species is a big source of stress and fear in the southwestern United States. If you live in this area, you should understand what Africanized bees are, what to do if you get stung, and how you can prevent the pests from wreaking havoc on your home.   The Africanized bee, also known as the killer bee, is a dangerous hybrid species of the honey bee. When beekeepers imported African honeybees to Brazil in the 1950s, some escaped and interbred with the European bees in the region. The resulting offspring are significantly more harmful than typical bees because they can sting people thousands of time. They are more defensive and aggressive than normal honey bees, too, and they are known to chase people when they become agitated.   The species spread rapidly throughout Central and South America in the second half of...

If you own or manage a hotel, then you know that it is difficult to keep things running smoothly. You are constantly trying to keep your guests happy, as they are your priority. But you also need to keep the building clean and safe. Unfortunately, this means that you need to plan for possible bed bug infestations.   Know What They Look Like The most effective way to prevent bed bugs is to have your staff keep a lookout for these pests as they clean rooms. Teach your housekeeping staff what bed bugs look like and how to spot an infestation. Keep them on alert when changing sheets and towels to look for things such as red stains that could be dried blood, small eggs or eggshells that are discarded as the nymphs grow, and tiny black spots that smear when they become wet, which is their fecal matter.    Keep...

As we head into peak mosquito season, it’s time to start thinking about the best ways to handle them. We want to enjoy our time outside and not worry about getting bitten by mosquitoes. Not only are they inconvenient and tarnish our time outside, they can also carry with them dangerous diseases such as the Zika virus. These mosquitoes will bite during the day, so it’s important to have a plan in place to handle them.    A pest control service is your best bet to reduce the number of mosquitoes that you may get in your yard. There are several steps that need to be completed to take care of the breeding grounds, eggs and adult mosquitoes that may be bothering you and your family.    Things we can do to help get rid of mosquitoes   1. Perform an inspection for problem areas and fix them.   A...

In Scottsdale and beyond, many homeowners are understandably concerned about the possibility of a termite infestation on their property. While you may have heard that termites can cause extensive damage to a home rapidly, you may not know how these insects travel, what they eat and how you can get rid of them. A Colony of Workers and Soldiers Subterranean termites live in colonies that are similar to the colonies that bees and ants live in. These colonies are comprised of workers and soldiers as well as a king and queen. Only the king and queen are fertile, and the queen can live for several decades. A typical colony may include hundreds of thousands or even millions of insects. The termite diet consists of animal dung, soil and cellulose material like wood and dead leaves. These insects generally live underground, but they can live in moist environments above the ground...

There are a number of rodents that can infest your property. The most common in our area are Pack Rats, Norway Rats and Roof Rats. They can enter your home through a hole the size of a quarter, and are good climbers, using walls, trees, utility lines and fences.  They eat fruit, nuts, pet food, and any type of vegetation. Roof Rats nest in oleanders, wood piles or your attic. If you find hollowed out fruit or hear scratching in the attic or walls, you may have roof rats. If you see a rat and its tail is longer than the body, it is a roof rat & other rats have shorter tails. WHAT TO DO BEFORE WE ARRIVE Do not use any rodenticides (rat poison) If another animal or large bird like on owl, or even a dog or cat, eats the dead rat, they will likely die also....