Plates
The usual guests
Six plates from our field notebook. Each one says where to look and what we do.
- Plate I
House mouse
Gray-brown, about the length of your thumb, and able to pass through a gap a pencil would fit.
Signs: scratching at night, a sweet smell, shredded paper in a drawer
Season: September to March
We: find and close the entry, then trap where needed
- Plate II
Cluster fly
A slow, large fly that stacks up on sunny walls in fall and wakes in the attic on a warm day in winter.
Signs: slow flies at attic windows, buzzing in the walls
Season: September to October, February to March
We: seal the roofline and treat the attic
- Plate III
Boxelder and stink bug
Shield-shaped, and in the dozens on a south wall in October.
Signs: bugs on sunny siding, behind curtains
Season: September to October
We: close window frames and treat the wall line
- Plate IV
Carpenter ant
Large and black. It tunnels in wood that has been wet for a while.
Signs: ants in spring, fine wood shavings near a sill
Season: April to July
We: find the nest and show you the leak
- Plate V
Gray squirrel
Loud at dawn in the attic, and strong enough to open a weak corner of the roofline.
Signs: running and gnawing overhead in the morning
Season: September to November
We: seal the entries; live animals go to a licensed handler
- Plate VI
Lady beetle
Orange, round and by the thousand on a sunny window in October and November.
Signs: beetles on frames, a yellow stain on curtains
Season: October to November
We: seal the frame, then treat the edges
Calendar
When each one comes
House mice
Sep to Mar
Cluster flies
Sep to Oct, Feb to Mar
Boxelder and stink bugs
Sep to Oct
Lady beetles
Oct to Nov
Squirrels in the attic
Sep to Nov
Carpenter ants
Apr to Jul
Paper wasps
Jun to Sep
Timing follows the weather. A warm October stretches every bar.
If you're not sure what it is
Can I send you a picture?
Yes. Email it to us, or call and describe it. We'll tell you what it looks like and whether it needs a visit.
What if it isn't on your list?
Plenty of pests aren't. We'll say what we think it is, or tell you who to call.
Do you identify bats?
We don't handle bats. They're protected, and a licensed wildlife handler does the work, after the summer season.
Book a fall walk-through
Bring your questions; we'll bring the plates.