With lots of green spaces and a climate boasting all four seasons, Summit, NJ, is just as enjoyable for many pest visitors as it is for its human residents. Spring and its warming temperatures bring termite swarms. Growing greenery and shade provide perfect settings not only for outdoor summer activities but also mosquitoes and ticks. Fall and the impending chill of winter prompt many pests to seek shelter indoors. Meanwhile, Summit’s humid northeastern climate often equates to air-conditioning, heating, closed spaces and the risk of mold. It’s a lot for busy homeowners to handle.

Termites

Termites do their damage year-round, especially in Summit, New Jersey. However, they often go unnoticed until a colony matures sufficiently to produce swarmers—winged termites capable of reproducing and establishing new colonies. Subterranean termites establish their nest underground but need wood to eat. They often prefer wood that has contact with the ground or that tends to be wet or moist. Two key signs indicating hidden termite damage are:

  • Mud Tubes: Termites will adhere a mudlike substance to foundations or other surfaces to form tunnels about the diameter of a small straw. These tunnels allow termites access to wood while protecting them from sunlight.
  • Carton Material: Termites will also use a mudlike substance to patch over well-tunneled areas, concealing workers from light.

Nests are usually at least four years old before termite queens produce a generation of swarmers—a sure sign of a termite infestation.

Mosquitoes and Ticks

Both mosquitoes and ticks carry diseases that are transmissible to people through the bite:

  • Mosquitoes are known carriers of the West Nile and Zika viruses as well as a number of other illnesses—malaria and yellow fever, for example—prevalent in warmer climes. Females require blood to lay viable eggs, and larvae need only the barest amount of standing water. Mosquitoes can lay multiple generations, and under optimal conditions, eggs can mature into adult insects in as little as four days.
  • Ticks carry Lyme disease as well as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, STARI (southern tick-associated rash illness), Powassan virus, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and numerous types of fevers. To find a blood host, ticks crouch on the tips of grasses, weeds or other greenery with their front legs raised, ready to latch onto an unwary victim. Some bites may raise a telltale rash—a deer tick’s bull’s-eye associated with Lyme disease, for example. However, others may go unnoticed but result in symptoms of illness weeks or months later.

Both of these pests depend on the cover and moisture afforded by deep shade and overgrown or weedy areas.

Mold Removal

Found both indoors and outside, mold is a type of fungus that is not only unsightly but also hazardous. Alive or dead, mold and the mycotoxins some species produce can cause allergic reactions that range from respiratory irritation like coughing or wheezing to skin rashes. For individuals who are highly allergic, who have respiratory illnesses or who have compromised immune systems, symptoms can be much more severe.

Mold grows in dampness and multiplies by releasing spores. These spores may float through the air or be carried through contact and transport on clothing or shoes, for example:

  • Outside, compost piles, cut grass and wooded areas provide perfect settings for mold.
  • Inside, prime growth areas include slow leaks or condensation on materials around pipes, windows, roofs and doors. Areas that have experienced flooding or standing water are especially at risk. Mold can infest just about any material in a home, from dust, paper and drywall to insulation, carpet and furniture upholstery. Over time, mold can cause structural damage to a home.

As even dead mold causes health issues, mold and its affected areas must be removed.

Pest Control in Summit, NJ

Property owners face many challenging pests and problems that can degrade both quality of life and property, but Dial Environmental is ready to help:

  • For termites, we offer Sentricon® With AlwaysActive Systems, which eliminate whole colonies without disrupting your home and without chemical applications.
  • For mosquitoes and ticks, we offer 100-percent organic oil mist blower applications every two weeks as well as conventional treatments.
  • For mold, we offer complete mold abatement.

Dial can help you maintain a healthier, safer home with its lawn, plant, shrub and tree care services using organic, environmentally friendly methods and products. If you would like more information on preventing, identifying or treating a potential pest problem—or if you want your yard to be the best it can possibly be—contact us through our website or give us a call.

We proudly serve multiple New Jersey and Florida locations, so check out our service area today! Let us help you enjoy all your seasons in Summit, NJ.