Winter Pest Control in Louisiana: 7 Ways to Protect Your Home

Fall Pest Control: Why Pests Are Moving Indoors and How to Keep Them Out As the weather begins to cool, many homeowners assume pest activity slows down. While some insects become less active outdoors, fall is actually one of the busiest times of year for pests seeking food, water, and shelter inside homes. In South Louisiana, our mild climate allows many pests to remain active well into the fall and winter months. Taking preventive steps now can help homeowners avoid larger pest problems later in the season. Why Pests Invade Homes During the Fall Shorter days, cooler nights, and changing weather conditions signal many pests to begin searching for protected places to live. Homes, garages, sheds, and crawl spaces provide warmth, moisture, and easy access to food sources. Even small openings around doors, windows, utility lines, and rooflines can become entry points for unwanted pests. Common Fall Pests in South Louisiana Rodents Mice and rats often become more noticeable during the fall as they seek warm shelter. Once indoors, rodents can contaminate food, damage insulation, and chew electrical wiring. Homeowners can help reduce rodent activity by: Sealing gaps and openings around the home Storing pet food in sealed containers Keeping garages and storage areas organized Trimming vegetation away from the structure Cockroaches Cockroaches remain active year-round in Louisiana, but changing weather conditions can drive them indoors. Kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms provide ideal environments because of available moisture. Reducing excess moisture and addressing leaks can help discourage cockroach activity. Ants Although ant activity may slow outdoors, many species continue foraging inside homes during the fall. Keeping food sealed and eliminating moisture sources can help reduce infestations. Spiders Spiders often become more noticeable in the fall, especially around garages, porches, and entryways. While most spiders are harmless, regular pest control can reduce both spiders and the insects they feed on. Mosquitoes Many people are surprised to learn that mosquitoes can remain active well into the fall in South Louisiana. Standing water in flower pots, bird baths, gutters, and low areas of the yard can continue to support mosquito breeding. Regular inspections and eliminating standing water remain important even after summer ends. Termites Termites do not take a season off. Subterranean termites remain active year-round, making continuous protection essential. Fall is an excellent time for homeowners to review their termite coverage and ensure their protection remains current. Fall Pest Prevention Tips A few simple steps can greatly reduce pest problems this season: Seal cracks, gaps, and openings around doors and windows Repair damaged screens and weather stripping Keep gutters clean and free of debris Store firewood away from the home Remove standing water Trim shrubs and tree limbs away from the structure Schedule regular pest inspections Protect Your Home This Fall Preventive pest control is one of the best ways to avoid larger problems during the cooler months. A professional inspection can identify conditions that attract pests before they become costly infestations. For nearly 90 years, Billiot Pest Control has helped families throughout South Louisiana protect their homes from pests and termites. If you have questions about fall pest prevention or would like to schedule an inspection, our team is here to help. Contact Billiot Pest Control today to keep your home protected this fall and throughout the year.

I wanted to share some compelling research about the efficacy of Recruit® HD termite bait and the Sentricon® system in achieving total colony elimination. Research from Dr. Nan-Yao Su and Dr. Thomas Chouvenc at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC) has shown that only a small amount of Recruit HD termite bait is needed for total colony elimination. They found that just one day of feeding on Recruit HD termite bait is enough to deliver a lethal dose to 1 million subterranean termites. In a separate study, Dr. Chouvenc determined that only 15.3 grams, or a fifth of a stick, of Recruit HD termite bait is sufficient to eliminate 1 million termites. This research confirms that even with limited exposure and a fractional amount of bait consumed, the Sentricon system quickly and completely eliminates termite colonies. This means you can apply the Sentricon system with confidence, knowing that total colony elimination begins as soon as the first termite starts feeding. This information is beneficial for you because: * A single Recruit HD termite bait contains more than enough Noviflumuron to achieve total colony elimination. When the Sentricon system establishes a ring of protection around a home, the in-ground bait stations provide ample Noviflumuron to eliminate multiple colonies, offering y customers peace of mind and superior termite protection. * A single Recruit® above-ground (AG) station also contains more than enough bait for total colony elimination. Recruit AG stations are a versatile solution for hard-to-treat termite infestations, as they can be placed directly on an active mud tube, ensuring immediate termite feeding. This immediate feeding provides homeowners with assurance that their home is protected from the first day of treatment. Recruit AG stations are particularly useful for treating Formosan termite infestations, which often exploit above-ground moisture to establish aerial colonies that are difficult to treat with traditional methods. Backed by over 70 scientific and 30 independent research studies, the Sentricon system offers confidence that Billiot Pest Control is protecting their customers’ homes with the most advanced termite control solution available.

House pests are no fun — especially swarming termites. Stay ahead of the swarm this year by knowing the difference between flying termites and flying ants. One is simply a nuisance, and the other is going to cost you. But what exactly is swarm season? It occurs when winged male and female termites, called swarmers, fly from their colonies to start new colonies. After landing, they shed their wings and pair with a mate to look for a suitable location to begin a new colony as its king and queen. When daytime temperatures begin to warm up and rain becomes more frequent, swarmer termites emerge from the colony. This means swarm season can begin as early as late February in coastal Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. As the weather continues to warm, swarm sightings spread throughout the South and gradually work their way east into Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee and west into Texas and Arkansas. It’s easy to assume that the swarm of flying insects are just flying ants. But for many homeowners, the first obvious sign of a termite infestation is a swarm because they are above ground. Most of the time, termites are lurking underground out of sight. At first glance, it's hard to distinguish between ants and termites, so here’s what you need to know. Termites have straight antennae , while ants have elbowed antennae. Termites have thick, straight waists , while ants have a pinched waist with three distinct body segments. Termites have two pairs of wings that are equal in length , while ants have one pair of wings that is long and another pair that is shorter. Don't make the mistake of thinking your home isn't at risk . Termites don't care if you have a brick home, a log home, a block home or even a home built on a concrete slab. Know what pests you're dealing with this swarm season and  call Billiot Pest Control to protect your home today.

Not all termites are created equal. Termites are social insects whose colonies are divided into castes. Each caste has specific duties that work together to ensure the colony survives and grows. Workers – Workers make up the overwhelming majority of the colony. They are responsible for foraging for food to feed the rest of the colony, caring for the young and building mud tubes. Workers are the termites that cause damage to homes and other valuable properties made of wood. Mature termite colonies can contain multiple thousands to millions of workers! Soldiers – Soldiers are the defenders of the colony. Their main job is to protect the colony from natural predators — such as ants and spiders. Soldiers have large, armored heads and powerful jaws meant for defense. Reproductives – Reproductive pairs, also called alates or swarmers, are the ones with wings that you’d see during swarming season. Male and female swarmers leave their parent colonies (usually in the spring) in groups, with the goal of establishing new colonies. The queen – The termite queen is the largest and most important colony member because she can lay eggs at a rate of up to one every second. That’s as many as a million eggs in her lifetime! She is large, up to 4 inches long, and can live for a decade or longer under ideal conditions. And unfortunately for homeowners, if the queen dies, there are supplemental reproductive who are ready to step up and keep the colony going – except when you are using the Sentricon® System. Call Billiot Pest Control for more information on Sentricon.

Have you ever found what looks like rat droppings but with a strange white tip? Must be something they ate, you figured. But in reality, white-tipped fecal droppings are characteristic of reptiles- both lizards and snakes- and of birds. Lizards and snakes share something with birds that explains their unique poop. Unlike mammals, who both urinate and defecate, lizards, snakes, and birds have only one excretory function and only one expelling orifice, the cloaca. Urine and fecal matter are combined into one dropping. Droppings are brown cords, several times longer than wide but usually with some white nitrogenous material incorporated. The white portion is crystallized uric acid. The folks at Billiot Pest Control know their poop. Call us or contact us online anytime with questions.

Mice can enter a home through a dime-sized opening. Signs of a problem include mice droppings, gnaw marks on food and wooden surfaces such as door corners, and scratching or scurrying sounds coming from walls, attics or crawl spaces. Billiot Pest Control rodent-proofing recommendations include: Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home, paying special attention to where utilities and pipes enter the home; Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and five feet off the ground; keep shrubbery and branches cut back from the house; Eliminate all sources of moisture, including leaky pipes and clogged drains; Keep food including dog and cat food in rodent-proof containers; In basements and attics, don't store boxes on the floor; Call Billiot Pest Control early to prevent a rodent problem from getting out of hand. A female mouse can produce up to six babies at a time, require less than a month between births, and produce up to 35 babies in a year. Not only are rodents notorious carriers of disease and bacteria, they can gnaw through wiring, putting homes at risk for electrical fires. Most rodent infestations involve the kitchen. Mice urinate constantly, the thought of them contaminating kitchen and food surfaces alone should spur every homeowner to conduct a thorough inspection in and around their house— especially to help prevent food-borne illnesses including Salmonella.

As summer begins to fade, a new season brings different pest challenges. Now is the perfect time to prevent pests from coming indoors with another round of pest-proofing. Use these five tips to keep pests out. Reduce entry points Caulk or seal cracks or holes along the foundation and around windows to keep pests from sneaking indoors. Eliminate moisture problems Pests — including termites — are attracted to moisture, which they need to survive. Clean out clogged gutters to draw water away from your home. On the inside, keep basements, attics and crawl spaces dry and well-ventilated. Replace weather-stripping Replacing loose mortar and weather-stripping around the basement foundation and windows not only can help with pests but also keep cold air out of your home. Eliminate pest shelter around the home While we all love to snuggle up by the fire on a chilly fall day, we don’t want to harbor pests close to our homes. Store firewood at least 20 feet from the foundation, rake up leaves and keep shrubs well-trimmed so termites don’t have a place to hide. Inspect items before bringing them indoors Before bringing items like packages, grocery bags and fall decor indoors, inspect them to ensure no pests are hiding.

What are occasional invaders? The term occasional invaders is a catchall grouping for pests that invade homes from time to time because outside weather conditions become hostile to their survival. What types of pests fall into this group? Occasional invaders include boxelder bugs, centipedes, crickets, earwigs, ladybugs, millipedes, pillbugs, scorpions, silverfish, slugs, springtails and stink bugs, to name a few. What time of year are occasional invaders most active? Occasional invaders are active year-round and spend the majority of their time outdoors. However, homeowners tend to notice them more frequently inside during the fall season because they are searching for a place to overwinter. Can occasional invaders cause problems? Although occasional invaders may enter structures in large numbers, they are often nothing more than an annoying nuisance. However, there are a few specific pests that can cause non health-related problems. Stink bugs are harmful to the agricultural industry because they destroy crops. Boxelder bugs and ladybugs may exude a defensive fluid when crushed that could stain curtains, drapes, clothing and other fabrics. Silverfish infest paper, particularly wallpaper, books and envelopes, so these materials could become damaged over time. What can a homeowner do to prevent an occasional invader infestation? Occasional invader control should begin with the elimination of moist harborage sites around the perimeter of the home, such as leaf piles, mulch and overgrown vegetation. Homeowners should seal possible points of entry into the home with a good quality silicone caulk, paying special attention to cracks in the foundation, utility pipes and wood fascia. Damaged screens on doors and windows should also be repaired. For more information on prevention, check out these five tips to keep occasional invaders out of the home .