From the farms and fields of Lancaster to the back-to-back residences of Philadelphia, PA pest control covers a wide range of regions and terrain. Tom Mayfield currently serves as Branch Manager for Lancaster and Newtown Square / Philadelphia. Service Manager Doug Wise has experience in both locations, and currently works in the greater Philly region. Recently, we checked in with the two of them to see which winter pests are poised to create headaches this winter and beyond.
Names: Tom Mayfield (Branch Manager) and Doug Wise (Service Manager)
Region: Pennsylvania
What are your predictions for PA pest pressures this winter?
"Roach and rodent issues will be especially troublesome in the greater Philadelphia region…and the worst problem in Philadelphia is almost always mice," Mayfield says. "They will get to be even more of a problem as the weather cools, not because the mice are cold, but because their food supply starts to disappear and they come inside in search of food."
What do you predict going into 2012?
"Two issues that will most certainly affect all regions are the stink-bug and bed-bug epidemics," Mayfield says. "Stink bugs are often perceived more as nuisance than threat, but issues will continue, even as stink bug populations expand out from their original PA introduction point."
Mayfield and Wise also predict ongoing issues with mice and German cockroaches, with German cockroaches re-emerging after a decade of diminished activity levels.
Any tips for homeowners seeking to curb rodent problems?
"With rodent control, it's extremely important that monitoring stations are checked monthly," says Mayfield. "You also have to change the baits regularly, even though that takes time. It's a step that pest-control companies sometimes skip."