Frequently Asked Questions

Plants do occasionally become home to small insects, including tiny pests like aphids. Generally, these bugs are present because of the moisture provided by the soil, or because the soil is old. The best solution to this problem is repotting the plant in fresh soil and wiping down the leaves and stems to make sure no bugs made the jump to the new pot.

Cockroaches are incredibly resilient and tough to eradicate because they can survive on just about anything and live just about anywhere. Keeping your living area, like a kitchen floor, as clean as possible is a good step toward minimizing their presence, but they may be coming in from outside looking for food. If over the counter remedies and at-home treatments have failed, it’s time to call in a professional pest control service to address the infestation more accurately.

Eliminating bugs from your house is usually a multi-step process that requires the elimination of food sources, nesting areas, and entry points, among other factors. It is unlikely that one spray will solve all of these issues.

Your best bet is to call a professional pest control service that can diagnose the cause of the problem and treat the root of it with child and environmentally-friendly products.

Carpenter bees bore holes into wood to nest and lay eggs. The good news is that these bees are not very aggressive and the males, distinguishable by a white spot on their face, do not sting. A best practice here is to fill in the holes with a wood putty or other substance to seal them off. This will help prevent the bees from using them again next year.

While the materials and treatments we use may have some impact on fleas and ticks, if we are not targeting them specifically, it’s unlikely that we will locate them exactly and hit all the nests. In this case, contact your service representative about your concern and they will be able to modify your quarterly service to include specific treatment for fleas and ticks.

Simply having a clean home will not automatically clear the space of roaches, since roaches are constantly on the hunt for food and shelter. If you are seeing larger cockroaches, they may be entering from outside through windows, doors or other cracks in the exterior seal of your home. Smaller cockroaches, like the German cockroach, can enter the home on groceries, furniture or other items carried inside. Contact Dynamic Pest to diagnose your specific issue and get it remedied quickly!

Termites are insects that feed on wood and are among the most successful groups of insects on Earth, colonizing most land masses except Antarctica. Both important to nature, and incredibly destructive, it’s estimated that termites cause $5 billion of property damage annually.

In the United States there are three major kinds of termites:

Dampwood: Found in heavily forested areas, preferring wet wood

Drywood: Rare in the United States. As their name suggests, they prefer dry wood

Subterranean: These are the most destructive and the most common. They require moist environments, living mainly in soil.

Termite behavior varies by region, but you may be able to spot termite swarms in the air during early spring. They look a lot like flying ants. Spotting their wreckage is a bit easier, with telltale signs including soft wood in the home, mud tubes left around the interior or exterior of the home, and the darkening or blistering or wood structures. Pay extra attention to the foundation!

As the saying goes, there are two types of homes: homes that have termites, and homes that will have termites. While they are a particularly destructive species, causing around $5 billion in property damage each year, they can also be efficiently controlled through professional treatment.

Depending on where you live, you may begin to see termite swarms in the early spring. In other cases, you may only notice them by the damage they are leaving in their wake.

Termites are looking for a moist environment to live, so the most important step you can take is to remove these conditions from your home and property. Make sure that water doesn’t collect around the foundation of your home, and ensure that downspouts, gutters, and other mechanisms to divert water away from the home are properly functioning.

Use dehumidifiers and fans to cut down on humidity in crawl spaces and attics. Manicure and maintain shrubs, vines and other growth outside the home to make sure that vents are free and clear. If there are old boards, stakes, or other construction materials around the property, be sure to remove them. This goes for old tree stumps and roots, as well. Crucially, eliminate any direct contact between wood and soil, ideally aiming for an 18-inch gap between the two at any point around your home. Also, keep up with routine inspections of your foundation and home! The earlier you spot termite presence, the better.

No, homeowner’s insurance does not usually cover termite damage.

Termites are best controlled through professional treatment. Call Dynamic Pest Control and a professional will assess the situation and treat it appropriately so that you can feel comfortable at home.

Dynamic pest control is committed to providing the safest, most effective treatment solutions for all pest issues, termites included! What’s most effective will depend on the severity of the infestation you are dealing with, the species of termite, where you live, and the particulars of your home or building.

Our trained and licensed pest control operators can assess each one of these factors and use their findings to recommend a thorough treatment plan to control termite presence.

On your own, yes, termites are very difficult to treat. However, Dynamic pest control professionals have the training, experience, and technology to eliminate termite infestations and can surely handle any issue you are facing.

On average, termite treatment costs between $800 and $1,800. Cost depends on where you live, your home type, the severity of the infestation, and the type of treatment necessary. At Dynamic, we provide you a free home evaluation!

All the professional pest control products we use are registered for use for the EPA and have been approved for use around kids and pets. When used in accordance with labeled instructions by trained professionals, these products do not pose a risk to children or pets.

The Internet is full of opinions and advice, but there is no substitute for training and experience. When you choose to hire a professional pest control service, you get a robust pest control solution, one much more likely to effectively treat the root of your problems and grant a lasting solution. Because of the risks and damage insect infestations bring, you really don’t want to waste any time with amateur attempts at eradication.

Usually, termite treatment can be completed in one day.

In the winter, termites are less active but remain present in the soil. They usually burrow deeper into the soil to avoid the colder temps at surface levels. If termites have already gotten into the foundation of a home, they will continue to eat at the wood, just at a slower pace during these colder months.

Several species fall into this category, including bees, wasps, and hornets. In addition, some species of ants, like fire ants, are categorized as stinging insects as well.

Stinging insects are not labeled as public health threats in the way that insects like mosquitoes carrying communicable diseases like West Nile Virus are, stinging insects do send half a million to the emergency room each year. As such, it’s best to treat their presence with caution. If you suspect you have a stinging insect infestation, you should not try to control it yourself but instead contact a pest control professional.

Peak activity for stinging insects occurs during the summer months.

Yellow jackets and many other types of stinging insects are social species and will sting to protect themselves and their colonies. These insects give off pheromones that cause others in the colony to sting as well. This chain reaction can turn into a dangerous situation and is one that should only be faced by a pest control professional.

The first thing a professional will do is identify what type of pest you are dealing with. For instance, they will be able to differentiate between solitary wasps, like sand wasps, and the more hazardous—and communal—yellow jackets. Once the type of pest is properly identified, Dynamic’s pest service professionals will use an approach called Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, to address the problem in a comprehensive manner. This includes removing sources of food, water, and shelter that the pests rely on, and in the case of stinging insects, cleaning up or addressing the areas outside your home that may be attracting the insects. Different pests and scenarios require different solutions, and our pest control specialists are trained to diagnose and implement them all.

Yes, certain species of stinging insects can pose a threat to your property. Carpenter bees, for instance, can cause serious damage to the structure of your home if not properly diagnosed and treated. Again, stay vigilant, as the sooner you treat the problem, the better!

Use care when moving through growth and gardens outside the home, or in areas like attics and crawl spaces inside the home where such species like to nest. You want to avoid sudden disruptions of their environments, should they be present.

While it’s important to keep an eye on your property in order to spot a possible infestation, be sure to do so in a calm, methodical manner. This should help prevent any sudden disturbances that would lead to stinging. If you spot a potentially problematic situation, call Dynamic pest management right away.

As noted above, use extreme caution when moving in areas where stinging insects might be present, and remain particularly aware of nesting areas. Nests are most commonly built in areas like attics, crawlspaces, corners of buildings, and beneath gutters, patios or decks. Take time to ensure that any cracks in the exterior of your home are properly sealed shut to prevent insects from gaining access to your home.

Exposed food and garbage are stinging insect magnets, so make sure these items are properly covered and stored, especially outdoors. If you are stung and experience an allergic reaction, seek professional medical attention right away.

Mosquitoes transmit at least three human diseases that have been found in the United States. All of them are potentially fatal. These diseases include West Nile Virus, Malaria and Dengue Fever.

West Nile Virus was first detected in the U.S. in 1999. It can lead to serious complications of the liver or nervous system, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), meningitis or paralysis. It is the most widely known disease, likely due to its rapid spread throughout the nation. West Nile Virus has spread across the country from Pennsylvania to Washington state since 1999. More than 3,700 cases have been confirmed since that time. Forty-one states and Washington D.C. now have confirmed cases of West Nile.

Malaria was thought to have been eradicated in the U.S. but was detected in mosquitoes in Fairfax County, VA in 2002. From 1973 to 1983, travelers introduced 2,575 cases of malaria into the United States.

A small but important risk for dengue fever exists in the United States. Travelers introduce up to 100 to 200 cases into the U.S. each year.

Many homeowners erroneously believe that all pest management professionals do is spray products to treat their homes. This is simply not true anymore. Dynamic uses an Integrated Pest Management or IPM approach. IPM controls pests by getting rid of the three things they need to survive: food, shelter and water. And consumer education is a vital part of any IPM program. This approach consists of inspection, identification of the pests, employment of two or more control measures, and evaluation of effectiveness through follow-up inspections.

The length of effectiveness is dependent upon several variables including temperature, humidity, surfaces treated, materials or control methods employed. The time lapse between treatments depends upon these factors and specifically the materials used.

There are many ways a homeowner can reduce the risks from mosquitoes:

• Eliminate or reduce mosquito breeding sites by replacing all standing water at least once a week. This includes bird baths, ponds, and swimming pools.
• Remove unneeded vegetation or trash from around any standing water sources that cannot be changed, dumped or removed.
• Introduce mosquito-eating fish such as gambusia, green sunfish, bluegills, and minnows to standing water.
• Screen windows, doors, and other openings with fine mesh, sealing around all screen edges and keeping doors and windows shut to prevent entry.
• Avoid going outdoors when and where mosquitoes are most active: during dusk or dawn.
• Use repellent on exposed skin whenever and wherever mosquitoes are likely to bite. The most effective repellents currently available contain the active ingredient N,N-diethylbenzamide (DEET), in concentrations up to about 35% (greater concentrations don’t offer better protection).
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long-legged pants, preferably treated with a repellent as well.