Pest Problems by Symptom in Leominster

Insects in the upper rooms in autumn

This is the sign the UMass account most directly supports. Brown marmorated stink bugs overwinter in homes, office buildings, sheds and warehouses, and the upper rooms are where they settle.

The walk begins in the attic and the upper rooms, then the outside of the walls. The sealing list is written in the same order, so the next autumn check can start from it.

• Note the room, the floor and the date the insects were seen.
• Note whether they were on the window, the wall or the ceiling.
• Note whether there are more in one corner or along one wall.
• Read the brown marmorated stink bug guide and the sealing service page.

Insects on a window in spring

Insects on a window in spring can be a sign of overwintering insects that were already inside, or of a new entry. The sources here do not say which, so the walk checks both.

A spring check looks for the openings the winter may have widened, and the sign is one of the things it is set to find.

• Note the window, the room and the date.
• Check whether the window frame has a gap at the top or sides.
• Check the attic above the room for an opening.
• Read the winter entry inspection page for the spring check.

Gaps of light at frames, doors and cables

A gap that shows daylight at a frame, a door or a cable is an entry in plain terms. It is sealed, and the seal is checked on each visit.

Sealing is the step that closes these gaps. The material is chosen for the gap, and the list records each one by its position.

• Look for light at the edge of a frame when the room is dark.
• Look for a gap under a door, or a worn sweep.
• Look for a cable or a pipe with a gap around it.
• Read the stink bug entry sealing page for the method.

Insects in a shed, garage or outbuilding

UMass names sheds among the overwintering sites, so insects found in an outbuilding are walked as a sign in their own right. The outbuilding has its own list.

A shed that shares a wall with the house is walked at the joint, because insects can move between the two.

• Note the building, the door and the vents where the insects were seen.
• Note whether stored material is against the wall.
• Note whether the door seal is worn.
• Read the shed and outbuilding page for the walk.

Droppings, gnaw marks and noises in the walls

The sources held for this site give no Massachusetts guidance on rodents. The page does not describe a method for them or name a season.

A technician looks at the sign on the visit. The sources here do not support a local claim about rodents, so the page leaves the method to the visit.

• Note the place, the date and what was seen.
• Do not handle droppings without gloves, and keep a sample sealed in a bag if one is found.
• Read the rodent control page for the general service.

Ants in the walls, trails near the kitchen

No Massachusetts carpenter ant source was retrieved for this site. A trail or a sign in a wall is noted and inspected on the visit, and the page makes no species or season claim.

The inspection looks at the sign and the wood it may be in. The page does not state more than that, because the sources do not.

• Note the trail, its direction and the room.
• Note any sawdust-like material near a wall, if seen.
• Read the carpenter ant control page for the general method.

Soft, hollow or crumbling wood

Soft or hollow wood is an inspection question, not a guess. Wood in contact with soil or with moisture is checked first, and the result decides the next step.

A termite inspection checks the wood and the moisture, and names no species for this site. The plan follows the finding.

• Note the wood, its place and whether it touches soil.
• Note whether the wood sounds hollow when tapped.
• Note any moisture or damp at the foundation near the wood.
• Read the termite inspection guide and the termite inspection page.

Wasps, nests and bites

A nest is identified before it is touched. The page covers the nest in general, and the sources here give no Massachusetts nest guidance.

A bite that worries the household should be raised with a doctor. This site does not give medical advice, and the page covers only the nest work.

• Note the place of the nest and whether it is in use.
• Do not approach a nest that is in a wall or the eaves.
• Read the wasp and hornet nest removal page for the general method.

Signs that need a prompt call

Some signs call for a prompt visit: insects in large numbers, wood that gives way under pressure, a nest that is in use near a doorway, and any sign that worries the household.

The page does not give medical advice. A bite, a sting or a reaction that worries anyone in the household should be raised with a doctor. For the pest sign itself, a prompt visit is the right step.

Wood that gives way under pressure is a structural question as well as a pest question, and the homeowner should keep people away from the area until a professional has looked.

Signs that can wait for the next visit

Some signs can be recorded and left for the next scheduled visit: a single insect in a room, a faint line of light at a frame, and a small gap at a cable.

Record the sign with its position and date, and add it to the list. A single sign that does not repeat is still worth noting, because a repeat on the next check shows a pattern.

A sign that is noted and then repeated is moved up the list, and the homeowner calls for the earlier visit.

Keeping a symptom log

A symptom log is a dated list of the signs seen, with the room, the position and a note of what was done. It is the fastest way to give a technician the information the walk needs.

A log kept for a season shows which signs repeat and where. A technician who reads the log can start the walk at the place the signs come from, rather than at the front door.

The log is kept with the house record and shared with the technician on the visit. It does not replace the walk, but it makes the walk shorter.

Matching a sign to a service page

Each sign points to one service page. The page gives the method for that sign, and the list of what the sources support and what they leave open.

A sign of insects in the upper rooms in autumn points to the brown marmorated stink bug and the sealing service. A soft or hollow wood sign points to the termite inspection. A sign that matches no section here is raised with a technician, who sets the visit from what is found.

The reading guide is a starting point. The visit decides the method, and the report records what was found and what was done.

What to bring to a call

A short written note of the signs, with the place, the date and a photograph where possible, makes the first call more useful and the visit quicker.

A photograph of a sign, taken with a scale such as a coin beside it, helps the technician judge the size of an entry or an insect. A dead specimen in a sealed bag is also useful, but the homeowner should not handle live insects or droppings unprotected.

The note and the photographs are kept with the symptom log. They form the first record of the sign, before any work is done.

Sorting signs by urgency

Signs are sorted by how soon they need a visit: a sign that is growing is urgent, a sign that is stable can wait for the scheduled visit, and a sign that is one-off is noted and watched.

A growing sign is one that appears in more places on each check. A stable sign appears in the same place and does not spread. A one-off sign is recorded with its date and watched for a repeat.

The homeowner writes the urgency next to each sign in the log, so the technician can see which signs to deal with first when the visit starts.