Alliance Pest Blog - New Jersey's Reliable Pest Resource

Acrobat ants are found all around the United States. They get their name because of the way they are able to acrobatically raise her abdomen above their head, particularly when they are disturbed. From an aerial view, the abdomen is shaped like a heart. There are several species of these acrobat ants found within the country. They are small and most are under 5.4 mm in length. If they are disturbed, they may also email an unpleasant odor. Acrobat ants are predominantly found outdoors where there is moisture, including in stumps, under stones, within rotting logs, and even under wood piles. If they do invade a home, they will nest in the damper areas, such as the foam sheathing of siding, and even near a leaking skylight. Homeowners need to be aware of the dangers that can arise by having acrobat ants in the house. They nest in similar areas...

Having mosquitoes around the house can be a real nightmare. They can suck the life out of you. Mosquitoes can show up everywhere around the house. If they are in your yard or house there is a good chance that water is somewhere nearby. Dealing with mosquitoes is a matter of controlling old standing water buildup around the house and yard. Mosquitoes could be coming from a more distant place, but usually it is standing water buildup in a nearby place. Mosquito’s eggs can only hatch and live in the water. A female mosquito can lay hundreds of eggs at a time but she has to find water to make it happen. Water accumulation on the property can cause a real problem with mosquitoes. Containers around the house can fill up with water and provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes. If there are ditches around the house they could become...

Spring and summer is a great time at the Jersey Shore for parties.  Friends and family come from all over to vacation and enjoy the beaches and sunshine.  Barbeques, weddings, celebrations, and outdoor gatherings are all quite common at this time of year.  Fall brings about beautiful scenery and foliage and offers great weather to enjoy the outdoors.  With all of these events to plan for, one thing that is often forgotten are the pests that join our parties.  Mosquitoes flying around and biting your guests can make a barbeque go downhill very quickly. Wasps, hornets, bees, ants, these are all pests that no one wants to cater to! Want a pest free party?  Want guests to have fun outside without the risk of pests biting, stinging, and landing on the food?  Worried about diseases ticks and mosquitoes can carry to your guests? Whether it’s a barbeque, wedding, holiday, or...

What is the Drain Fly? The drain fly is recognized as pyschodidae by the scientific community. They are members of a suborder of the nematoceran family. They have been called by several names, a moth, sewer, or filter fly, among them. They’re small, approximately ¼ inch as adults. They lay their eggs in dark, humid or moist areas, and they have the normal cycle for most entomological creatures—eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults that appear from the pupae stage entirely developed. These flies live on average 2or 3 weeks and only breed once. Their bodies are small and hairy, and their wings are large—compared to their bodies—with distinct veining. There are dark brown to black as adult, and can have fairly long antennae. How do you get Drain flies? Since drain flies are inadequate fliers, they are blown about on the wind. Once they have reached an area, they find ideal...

One of the smallest beings on Earth is the ant, but just because ants are incredibly small, it doesn’t really mean they can’t be annoying. They outnumber humans by a LOT, and as such, they can be pretty much everywhere and most of the time, we don’t even notice them. What happens a lot of times, is that they can end up becoming guests in your home, and if that happens you surely need to get rid of them since they can represent a health hazard. Ants are tiny and pretty much any hole they can get, they can use to get into your house. Anything from a poorly closed window to a small hole in your wall is good enough for an ant to get and get some food at your expense. There are several things you can do to stop them from getting into your home, however. The...

Fleas are a common problem in many households. Homeowners are not always up to speed on how these pests can make their way into the home and do not have the experience and know how that it takes to remove them. In order to successfully avoid a flea infestation, it is important to know how they can come into your home and how to make them leave once they have arrived. A flea needs to find a suitable host, a host that can provide them with regular blood meals. As such, the vast majority of fleas come into the home thanks to mammal hosts. Homeowners who also own cats and dogs are particularly susceptible to flea infestations. If you allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors on a regular basis, you are at much greater risk. Younger fleas are microscopic and difficult to see with the naked eye. Even...

      Winged ants are a common sight in summer. Great swarms of winged ants will appear suddenly from existing ant colonies and fly around. It is during these swarms that the ants will mate and the resulting new queens are the source of new colonies. If you see a swarm of what you believe to be flying ants during the spring, contact a pest control specialist because ants rarely swarm in spring, but termites regularly do. While, by and large, the swarm of winged ants will cause little to no damage to your home, termites are another matter entirely. Heavy rain is required before winged ants will swarm. Although in some cases you can see a swarm of winged ants following a single day of heavy rain, it is far more common for there to be rain for three to five days before the winged ants will emerge...

There are at least five signs that you as a homeowner can see that tell you that you have a termite problem. The signs can be very subtle at first but as termite damage continues to destroy you hard earned home, you should be able to see more evidence of a termite infestation. You really need to take action as soon as you see any evidence of termite damage or any sign of an infestation so you can minimize the damage the little critters do to the home you spent hours taking care of and a fortune in keeping tidy. If you are not capable of looking everywhere in your home for termites, then by all means spend the money to have a professional inspect your home. The most common signs of termites are mud tubes, termite swarmers, flaking paint, soft or spongy feeling wood, and termite defecation. Termites are...

The Months to Come In no time at all we will all be saying farewell to the bitterly cold, snowy weather. No more harsh winds and chilly air. As we all welcome the warm weather with open arms and a smiling face, we seem to forget one big annoyance: Bugs! Buzzing, stinging and flying creatures with flapping wings and no sense of direction. Once spring rolls around and winter is long gone, there are many exciting feelings in the air. The beautiful blossoming trees and flowers. The warm sun beating down on your happy face, breeze blowing through your hair and suddenly a pesky mosquito lands on your face and ruins the mood! You swat at it just a moment too late, after it has already drawn your blood, and you secretly wish the winter months were back to protect you. Protecting Yourself from Pests As the temperatures increase, so...

Termites live in large colonies, often establishing themselves in favorable spot for years. As the colony grows, it will eventually produce swarmers. These are winged termites that will leave the colony once it has gotten too large in order to establish a new colony somewhere else. If you see a swarm of termites, you most likely have an established termite colony in or around your house. You should check carefully for any signs of termite damage around your home. Aside from the termite swarm, other signs that you might be hosting a colony include cracked or bubbling paint, wood that sounds hollow and mud tubes on walls or beams. When a swarm of termites settles in a new location, they shed their wings. If you notice these shed wings lying around, you should contact an exterminator immediately. They are an excellent indication that you have a newly formed colony in...

You might think that because you keep your home clean, you don't have any pests. And it's true that maintaining a clean environment reduces your chances of having large infestations of pests. But there are probably areas of your home that are inviting all sorts of destructive inhabitants to set up shop. And many of these are places that you never go.   Most pests are attracted to moist, warm spaces. And almost every home has at least one small space that fits this description. Small leaks can go unnoticed, but over time a significant amount of water will build up under your pipes. Even condensation can create enough moisture to attract damaging pests. If your house sits in a low spot, periodic flooding may not rise high enough to damage any of your living space, but could be eroding away the underside of your home and sending out an...

It goes without say that termites cause a lot of confusion and damage. Many homeowners have little knowledge about these devastating critters as well as how to effectively get rid of them. It is widely understood that termites have progressed significantly in recent years. Newer and innovative management tools have emerged, and a good number of pest control services are now using bait systems as alternative forms of treatment. This article will help homeowners know more about bait systems so they can make informed purchasing decisions. Waiting for termites to actually strike before you can eliminate them is probably one of the biggest and most detrimental mistakes homeowners can make. Your home is your sanctuary and an important dwelling. The potential damages posed by a termite invasion are too great and overwhelming for you to employ a sit and wait strategy. A termite bait system is an in-ground monitoring system...

Termites are without doubt the most structural damaging pests in the world. Commonly referred to as white ants, these pests can devour huge amounts of wood and other materials containing cellulose. Although certain structures are more susceptible to termite attacks, every home is prone to a termite infestation at some point in time. While most homeowners will worry more about flooding or fire, termite damage can be a more common and prevalent problem than one would think. Even if your home is built of bricks or stones, the risk of termite attack on structural support and other crucial building elements constructed of wood and cellulose containing material is real. Termites are very covert pests. This means that they can come unannounced without an invitation and work stealthily, such that by the time you realize them, damage will already have been done. Termites can damage and weaken wooden structures, and repairs...

With summer upon us, it’s party time for many pests, and some holiday makers will be returning home to find uninvited, hungry home-sitters lurking at their homes. Wasps, fleas, rats and flies all make part of the huge list of unpleasant visitors, and are ready for spring and summer. Studies indicate that summers will continue to get hotter and longer each year, largely due to the effects of global warming, and best believe that pests will thrive and nourish during these less than pleasant times. One of the most common universal pet-peeves in gardening are pests. Combating these scaly, slippery and sticky critters that munch through leaves and suck the sap out from plants are among the most persistent features of gardening. In our fight against common pests, our offensive should take place in summer when their population is bustling and devouring anything in sight. Ironically, fighting aphids, slugs, ants...

Homeowners must be on constant alert, because termites are a constant source of aggravation and cause serious damages to homes that are not properly protected. Any structure that is primarily constructed of wood is in danger of a termite attack. Termites are such a menace, they are considered to be more of a threat to a wooden structure than floods, winds or even fire. It is estimated that termites cause homeowners billions upon billions of dollars in damages every year. In order to avoid such a fate, it is important for homeowners to educate themselves about termites. The first and most crucial piece of information to remember is that there are two main types of termites that make their presence known in unprotected homes. Some termites that attack your home do so from beneath the surface. These termites are known as subterranean termites. Subterranean termites can be especially problematic, because...

Odors in the home are unpleasant and embarrassing at best and unhealthy at worst. If you have an odor in your home, it needs to be addressed immediately in order to keep it from getting worse. Odor eliminating products will often cover the smell, but they will not correct the underlying cause. The first step to eliminating an odor completely is discovering the root of it.   Most of your everyday household odors fall into just a few basic categories. There are kitchen odors, bathroom odors, and pet odors. Usually a little investigation with your nose will help you find the source of the smell and then lots of hot soapy water will clean it up. Many odors can be prevented with a regular cleaning schedule. Take out the trash before old food has a chance to smell. Scrub down all surfaces weekly. Keep the refrigerator, microwave, and oven clean....

Indian meal moths are one of the many species of insect that hitches a ride into our places of residences and makes itself right at home. The most common place in the home that you will find an Indian meal moth is in your pantry. They are considered to be one of the most, if the most, irritating "pantry pest" of all.   So how do these meal moths make their way into the home in the first place? Opening a box of cereal or some other foodstuff in your pantry, only to have moths fly out, can be a real nuisance. Having it happen in front of company can be supremely embarrassing, as it makes your home look filthy and unkempt.   There are two primary ways that these moths can make their presence known in your home. Food items that have already been pre-packed are most susceptible to...

It is often said that a person’s home is their castle. But how do you keep it from becoming a residence for insects, spiders, rodents, and other pests? Instead of building a moat around your home, there are simple ways to make sure you don’t share your living space with unwanted pests.   The best way to keep unwanted intruders out is to make sure they can’t get in. Many pests seek entry to homes when weather changes like extreme drought or rain or colder temperatures in fall and winter months. Taking preventive measures to keep them from getting in before they end up inside can ensure a reduction in the chances of more pests entering your home.   By using these tips, you not only pest proof your home, you also save energy and boost your level of comfort during the more extreme seasons of summer and winter. You...

When it comes to hiring the best pest control company, there are a wide range of considerations that must be made. Pest outbreaks in the home or business are quite serious and finding a company that treats them as such is pivotal. Read on for helpful hints on how to make sure you make the right decision when it comes time to choose the pest control company that is right for you. 1. Great Reviews Hiring a pest control company that has no reviews, or has received poor marks from all of their clients is a good way to guarantee that you will be paying to complete the same job twice. Selecting a pest control company that is able to help you means listening to their word of mouth. If you have friends or family who have also experienced pest control issues that necessitated the hiring of a professional, take...

Basically no one will want to welcome bats into their lives, but they might just come for one reason or another. Although bats are dangerous, it is just not because of what they do and their physical presence (even though they might carry rabies). The thing is, bats and people do not really connect that well, and whenever people are living in a place, and bats cannot be living in it as well. This is also because of their droppings, known as guano. Bat guano carries a few risks to human health because of the micro beings living in them. So whenever you are living with bats do your best to get them off your back, and this way, you'll be able to stay safe. One of the diseases people can get from being exposed to bat dropping is histoplasmosis. This is basically an infectious disease caught by inhaling spores,...