Warmer temperatures & sunlight warms those insects that have been hiding in your walls during the cold and you will start seeing them roaming about your house very soon.  And when they emerge, they’ll start reproducing.  Termites will begin swarming in mid to late February through late March.

As part of your regular pest control service – C&C Home Services is always checking for termites. 
We offer AFFORDABLE pest control services!!

If you are using a BIG pest control company – you are paying the highest prices for pest control!  Their overhead is huge and YOU are paying for their extensive advertising, their fleet of trucks & their staff!  Bigger doesn’t mean better!  IT’S TIME TO SWITCH and pay a fair & reasonable price for better service!!

Call Eddie today!  537-7752

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PROTECTING YOUR HOME


Don't Let Termites Put The Bite On Your House

(NAPSI)-Could termites have your home by the walls, the floors and the ceilings? These saw-toothed, wood-eating insects eat 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making infestations much more common than you may think. This incessant gnawing can severely compromise the structural stability of your home as they chew their way through important support beams.

In fact, according to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage each year across the U.S.-and damage from wood-boring insects is typically not covered by homeowners' insurance policies.

What To Do

The best way to effectively treat an existing termite infestation is through professional pest control, but there are steps homeowners can take to help keep the pests from invading in the first place.

For instance, simple things, such as keeping tree branches and shrubbery well trimmed and away from the house, can help.

The experts at the NPMA also recommend these tips for controlling termites:

• Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home, including entry points for utilities and pipes.

• Keep basements, attics and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.

• Repair leaking faucets, water pipes and AC units.

• Repair fasciae, soffits and rotted roof shingles. Some termites are drawn to deteriorating wood.

• Replace weather stripping and repair loose mortar around basement foundation and windows.

• Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and 5 inches off the ground.

• Routinely inspect the foundation of your home for signs of mud tubes (used by termites to reach a food source), cracked or bubbling paint, and wood that sounds hollow when tapped.

• Direct water away from your house through properly functioning downspouts, gutters and splash blocks.

"Wood"n't you know it: Termites munch 24 hours a day, seven days a week, causing more than $5 billion in property damage a year. Luckily, there are simple ways by which you can protect your home.

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Not all pests hibernate or die when it gets cold out -- they move INSIDE! 
 
When the weather gets cold, people tend to think that they can skip pest control services or not have them during the winter at all.   

Keep in mind: Pests prefer warm, dry locations. Pests adapt to the changing environment.  Many new challenges arise in the cooler months, including rodents/pests invading our homes looking for shelter.   And some burrow into the ground.   So as it gets colder, it is still important to maintain your regularly scheduled services, especially exterior treatments, as the weather allows.

Pest problems to watch for in the winter:

Mice
Once inside, mice are capable of chewing through walls, electrical wires and baseboards and breed at alarming rates.  In addition to property damage and rampant infestations, mice also carry and transmit diseases such as Hantavirus and Salmonella.  Mice having the capability of dropping more than 70 times per day.
Indian Meal (or Flour) Moths
Indian meal (or flour) moths enter the home through infested grains, and other dried foods. Some of the more commonly infested foods include: cereals, birdseed, flour, snack foods (cookies, chocolates, etc) and pet food.
Cockroaches
If not properly and quickly managed, roaches can be problematic and breed to prolific proportions.  This is the case with German, American and Oriental cockroaches. It is not uncommon for roaches and other pests to be transported from one house to another by falling from the clothing of a person who has a roach infestation or by coming in boxes from items you buy in a store.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants can be found within the home during the winter months and may indicate a satellite nest located within the home.  Carpenter ants will nest in wall voids.  Inspect areas where wood may come in contact with excessive moisture (under sinks, basements, etc.) and wood that has been compromised by rot or fungus.
Termites
If left untreated, termites can cause extensive damage to wooden structure of a house. Termites are dependent on moisture sources.  Foraging IS limited during winter months when the ground is frozen....however, they can remain active if the structure they are infesting is heated.

* * Skipping winter services can make spring control more difficult, too!  Keeping a barrier maintained during the winter months is important to the early hatchings that will try to migrate into your house.

If any of these winter invaders are of concern to you -- PLEASE call Eddie today!  Eddie has been in the pest control business 16 years. 

Inspections to identify & isolate problems and estimates for treatments or preventative services are always FREE! 

Services through C&C Home Services are AFFORDABLE!  Don’t pay for the big company’s huge phone book ads, expensive television advertisements & fleet of vehicles.  Our prices our fair & reasonable for EVERYone no matter what side of town you live on!
CALL 537-7752

** Remember -- we provide service to HOMES and BUSINESSES -- and C&C Home Services has the best service around, too!! 

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Ever wonder what pests do in the winter? The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has answers.

Friendly creatures like some birds, bats and moths migrate. Certain species of bats travel hundreds of miles between their summer and winter homes while others hibernate in caves, trees or the chimneys of our homes.

Some pests, such as Japanese beetles and fire ants, tunnel into the ground for warmth. Subterranean termites do this, too - if they haven't moved indoors.

Others seek out a host. Blacklegged (deer) ticks, carriers of Lyme disease, like to spend the winter nestled in the fur of a deer. Without the host, their source of warmth and food, these pests are likely to die when temperatures drop.

Some insects, such as crickets and some stinging insects, lay eggs and die. The eggs hatch in the spring to begin the next generation. Other pests spend the cold months as dormant larvae. As the weather warms, their transformation begins, but some insects will pester us year round. If powder post beetles lay their eggs inside your home, the larvae will tunnel into hardwood floors, wooden antiques and the like, turning the wood in its path into fine, powdery sawdust.

Other pests thrive in our heated homes, schools and workplaces all winter. For example, cockroaches need food, water and a cozy place to live and our working and living space will provide that. Ants can also be found in kitchens regardless of what the weather is like outside.

According to Cindy Mannes, NPMA Vice President of Public Affairs, subterranean termites that haven't tunneled into the ground might take up residence inside, causing an estimated $5 billion in property damage each year. Mice and rats also seek shelter in the winter months, reproducing rapidly and carrying diseases, including the potentially deadly Hantavirus.

If any of these pests make your home their winter retreat, call a professional pest control company. In the quickest, most effective manner possible, highly trained technicians will properly identify and treat your specific pest issues using the most up-to-date treatments available. To learn more about pests or to locate a qualified professional in your area, please visit www.pestworld.org.

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It's that time of year.....BEES, WASPS, YELLOW JACKETS are making their presence known and until autumn, they will be a pain...literally.  They make nests under your deck or in the walls of your home and burrow into the ground.  These stinging insects are dangerous, especially if anyone in your home is allergic.  Seek the help of a professional when dealing with them!! 
C&C Home Services will give you the BEST prices for control of these nuisance pests!
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DID YOU KNOW?? 

Eddie has been doing Real Estate Termite Inspections for YEARS (not months) and has personally done over 10,000 inspections! 

Eddie takes his responsibility to homeowners & Realtors very seriously.  To further his education and commitment to this industry, he successfully completed & received a diploma for HOME INSPECTOR certification...receiving excellent grades, too.

Can the company that you use say the same thing??

ASK your current pest inspector....
** How many MONTHS (not days) of actual training did they receive??
** How many YEARS (vs. months) they have been performing inspections specifically for real estate transactions??
** How MANY (other than new construction) pest inspections have they actually done??

There are many company's out there ran by people who were in the pest control industry for a very brief time before venturing out on their own... 

This industry also has a high turn-over rate ~ company's are introducing employees with <1 year of experience...

Eddie has personally been licensed for 16 consecutive years....not "combined" years with other technicians and office staff.

We get all of our business by working hard & proving ourselves.  We do not talk badly or spread untrue rumors about our competition.  There is more than enough business out there for all of us. 

I earn mine.

The FACTS about me:
...I am licensed
...I am fully insured
...and I WILL be here to serve you in the future!

EDDIE has the experience that you can truly TRUST!! 

Call C&C Home Services for your next real estate pest inspection!!!
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Press release from NPMA

http://www.pestworld.org/press-releases/do-it-yourself-may-not-always-be-prudent-when-it-comes-to-pest-management

July 7 (Fairfax, VA) – The “Do-It-Yourself” (DIY) spirit of Americans has been lauded during the current economic downturn as The Washington Post reported in late June that 23 percent of people who took on home renovation projects did so to enact cost-saving measures. Although this would seem to be a natural inclination, The New York Times recently analyzed the perils of DIY projects for untrained and often unprepared homeowners. While there is no official tracking of (DIY) injuries within a recession, annual research from the Home Safety Council reports that home injuries result in nearly 21 million medical visits and close to 20,000 deaths every year. 

One area where homeowners have ventured more frequently into DIY is with regard to pest control. Although there are maintenance issues that homeowners can undertake to prevent pests from entering their homes, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) reminds homeowners that there are several types of pest infestations that cannot be eradicated through DIY efforts.  

“In economic downturns, many homeowners attempt to take on a variety of projects that are often better left to professionals, notably pest prevention and treatment,” said Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for NPMA. “Many pest infestations pose far too serious health and property risks to be effectively dealt with through DIY efforts. Termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage each year. Bed bugs can spread rapidly through a home if not identified and treated in an efficient manner. Rodents can reproduce quickly and chew through electrical wires in walls, raising the risk of home fire.”

Summer is a season where DIY projects tend to increase in frequency and scope. However, Henriksen warns that simple summer pest management tasks can pose health risks as “stinging insects can aggressively sting, especially if their nest is being threatened, and send more than half million people to the emergency room every year.”

IF COST IS DETERRING YOU FROM CALLING A PROFESSIONAL PEST MANAGEMENT COMPANY........

Please call C&C HOME SERVICES!  Our prices are fair AND affordable upfront!  We have less overhead so we can offer BETTER SERVICE at BETTER PRICES!!

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Are you noticing all the large black ants crawling around your sidewalks and driveways??  Another sign of SPRING!!

The ants you are seeing in or around your gardens or in your kitchen are workers -- foraging for food -- they find food and communicate with other workers by depositing a chemical pheromone trail on the substrate as they crawl back to the nest. The trail pheromone sticks to the substrate for long periods of time and helps other ants find the food at the end of the trail...like in your kitchen.

There are no fire ants in Iowa -- as our ants are not biting or stinging pests but there are two categories of ants that infestation issues... 

1. Ants that live outside and forage in the home. Ants that live outside will travel inside the home to search for food.

2. Ants that live (nest) inside your home.  Some types of ants actually establish a nest inside your home instead of merely entering to forage for food and returning outdoors.

Ants are foraging for a wide range of food.  They feed on sweet foods, greasy materials, starchy substances, wood, and all kinds of plant and animal materials. Part of the reason that ants become a nuisance in our homes is that they often like the same kinds of food that we do.  Ant infestations are not easy to control.

In the spring, ANTS DEVELOP WINGS & fly to new locations to invade homes to forage for food or to establish a new nest.  TERMITES also develop wings.  Unlike other home-inhabiting ants, CARPENTER ANTS cause structural damage to wood by tunnelling & nesting inside wood structures. 

DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE WHAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH?  

Pest experts are knowledgeable about pest identification and biology, treatment options and state regulations.  A licensed professional also has both the professional and interpersonal skills to identify a pest issue effectively and communicate to you the steps needed to handle that issue.

Eddie has 16 consecutive years in the pest management industry.  C&C Home Services offers Professional ~ Knowledgeable ~ Trustworthy services at AFFORDABLE prices!  Call Eddie today for a free pest inspection at 537-7752!!

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Are you seeing an ant or a termite?  Both produce winged swarmers when the weather finally starts to warm.  Regardless of which insect it is - there is no reason to panic - BUT it does signal the time to become pro-active!!   

Termite swarmers are a sign that you may have a termite infestation in your home. 

Call C&C Home Services to schedule an inspection today! 

INSPECTIONS ARE FREE!!  

ALL homeowners should periodically have their homes inspected for termites...regardless of age!!  Each year, termites cause over 5 BILLION dollars in damage in the United States. Termites are active ALL year!!

Eddie has 16 personal (and consecutive years) in the pest control industry and specializes in doing termite inspections for real estate transactions.  Trust his experience and knowledge!

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As a homeowner, there are some pro-active steps that you can take to help keep unwanted pests from entering your home.  Pests transmit disease & pose health problems for your family and some cause property damage.  The NPMA (National Pest Management Association) recommends that homeowners do the following to help prevent bugs & rodents from entering your home: (http://www.pestworld.org/For-Consumers/Prevention-Tips)

1. Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home including entry points for utilities and pipes.

2. Keep tree branches and shrubbery well trimmed and away from the house.

3. Keep basements, attics, and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.

4. Store garbage in sealed containers and dispose of it regularly.

5. Repair fascia and sofits and rotted roof shingles; some insects are drawn to deteriorating wood.

6. Replace weather-stripping and repair loose mortar around basement foundation and windows.

7. Store fire wood at least 20 feet away from the house and five inches off the ground.

If you need help with any of these things around your home - call Eddie!!  Remember that inspections are always FREE, too!!  You DON'T have to put up with bugs or rodents because you cannot afford the high cost of pest control!   PEST MANAGEMENT is affordable with C&C Home Services!

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