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 

---

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!

Why Choose Siani Pest Control?

There are a lot of choices out there for pest control companies. Whether you just want someone to take down a wasp nest or need your home or business treated for an infestation; whether you are in the Berks, Lebanon or Lancaster county areas, you want a company that is knowledgeable, efficient and treats customers like valued family members. You want Siani! Here are the top 7 reasons Siani should be your pest control company. 

We make appointments, so you can make plans. 

Siani Pest Control will set an actual appointment time, so you can go about your day.

Some other companies give you a three hour window; we leave that to the cable guys. You can book an actual appointment with Siani and trust we’ll be there when we say we will, so you can go about your day. 

We’re family owned and operated. 

We care about this business because for us, it’s all in the family. Our team truly is a team, working together to ensure the best services at the best price. You can call our number and get a knowledgeable, helpful person on the line. 

Spotted Lanternfly

We were one of the very first in the nation to take on the SLF invasion when it arrived near Boyertown in 2014 and we’re proud to say our proprietary technique for control of this invasive species remains at the cutting edge of Spotted Lanternfly treatment.  

35 years experience

We’ve been in business since 1985 and learned the business from the ground up (pun intended!). Each of our team members averages about 10 years experience in the pest control industry and stays up to date with all the newest techniques and certifications. We’ve seen it all and can handle anything.

We take on jobs other companies walk away from

We’ve got a reputation for taking on the jobs other pest control companies walk away from. We’ve removed venomous snakes from garages and entire bat colonies from attics.

Wildlife is no match for us

Siani has a well seasoned wildlife expert who will work humanely and safely when nuisance wildlife has invaded your living space or property. Whether it’s birds nesting in your dryer vent or a skunk under your deck, Siani can handle it all. 

Customized Service Plans

When you need ongoing pest control, you don’t want to pay for treatments you don’t need or to have to call for appointments and rearrange your schedule. We’ll customize a plan to suit your needs, not ours. We’ll come once a season, once a month or once a week and everything in between. Call us to discuss and we’ll create a plan that’s right for you or your business. 

Do you have bats in your house?

Scratching sounds could be mice, squirrels, raccoons or…

none of the above!

Have you been hearing scratching and maybe some squeaking in your walls or coming from your attic? You may be tempted to throw a couple mouse traps up there and think you’ve taken care of things until you notice that the traps aren’t catching anything, and you’re still hearing the scratching and squeaking. Do you have a super smart mouse? A squeaky squirrel? Maybe. The more likely answer could be that you’ve got bats in your attic. 

While we tend to categorize bats as nuisance wildlife or pests, bats are actually pretty great at pest control themselves, eating up to one third of their body weight in insects every night during spring, summer, and fall, including mosquitoes, beetles, ants, wasps and flies. In fact, bats are sometimes referred to as a “keystone” species, as they are essential to some of the tropical or desert environments they live in. In some areas, bats also pollinate and disperse the seeds of certain plants. Many bats here in PA live in caves or other natural protected spaces and while most migrate someplace warmer, some bats may decide to just crawl inside one of your vents or your chimney and set up winter quarters inside your house. 

“Some people will tell you that you can remove a bat on your own, but we strongly advise that this is something that a homeowner should *never* attempt themselves. ”

 Bats are a protected species, meaning that it’s illegal to interfere with a bat that is flying or hibernating, but when a bat is in your home, your health and the health of everyone in the home take precedence. It’s up to the homeowner to see that the bat/s are removed safely. The best and *safest* way to deal with a bat is to call a professional pest control service. Some people will tell you that you can remove a bat on your own, but we strongly advise that this is something that a homeowner should *never* attempt themselves. There are a few reasons for this. One, bat droppings, called guano, contain fungi that cause the lung disease histoplasmosis. You should never go near any accumulation of guano; but call a professional to disinfect the area and remove the droppings. Second, bats also carry bat mites and bat bugs which, despite their names, aren’t picky and will bite humans as well as bats. Finally, bats can also carry rabies, and if a bat is rabid, it can be transmitted through saliva or any contact at all.  Do not engage with a bat, even if it seems to be injured or sick, as a grounded, helpless bat may be more likely to bite. 

How can you prevent bats from coming inside your home in the first place? Same way you prevent mice, squirrels and birds from entering: seal up cracks and crevices and screen your chimneys and vents. When in doubt, an inspection of the exterior of your home for openings where bats can enter should be performed by a trained professional who can more easily spot likely entrance points and know how to eliminate them. 

In short, bats are very beneficial, but dealing with a bat or bat colony in your home is tricky and can be, frankly, quite dangerous. Siani Pest Control has a trained and experienced wildlife tech on staff who can make sure that both the bat and your family are safe. 

Don’t let pantry pests ruin your holidays!

Thanksgiving is almost here and if you’re anything like us, you’re probably spending a lot more time in the kitchen; it seems that so many holiday traditions involve making and eating special foods! As you dig into your cupboards to pull out the powdered sugar and pie plates, you don’t want to find that invading insects have been feasting on your favorite recipe ingredients. 

There’s a long list of bugs that would find your flour, sugar and chocolate appetizing, 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 no one wants to pick bugs out of the fruit cake (we’re busy enough just picking out the fruit! What *are* those green things?). 

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. When you see one roach, you can safely assume there are a lot more crawling around where you can’t see them. Call a pest control professional (like Siani Pest Control!) 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, pasta, and crackers but they’re not picky and will chow down on whatever’s handy (even those green things in the fruit cake). 

How can you prevent pantry pests from ruining your pumpkin pie? Read on! 

Inspect the packaging

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

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! 

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.