Bats and mice are bigger problems
Since it is illegal to kill bats, they must be removed from a home.
They might not have six legs, but bigger pests such as bats and mice can certainly bug you just as much -- if not more -- than insects.
Anthony Farrell, of Expert Service Extermination, with local offices in Boardman and New Castle, said there are two types of bats found in this area: the small brown bat and the large brown bat.
"Small brown bats fly south in the winter, but large brown bats will stay here and hibernate in your home," he said.
Since bats are a protected species, it is illegal to kill them, and therefore they must be removed from your home rather than annihilated.
Bats can enter the home through a space and can often be kept at bay by covering chimneys and vents and installing draft guards beneath doors. If you do have bats in your home, it is best to call a professional since bats can carry rabies and bat droppings can contain harmful bacteria.
If a large bat colony must be removed, the infested area should be observed at dusk because entry holes can be located when bats emerge to feed.
However, the removal of a large colony should not be attempted in June or July since flightless young could be present, and if left behind, the young will die and cause a fowl odor, not to mention that distraught females may return in search of their pups.
HOUSE MICE
Is there an unwanted visitor in your kitchen each night, nibbling on crumbs and leaving behind a trail of tiny, telltale droppings?
Mice frequently enter a home through cracks and crevices, often around the foundation, windows or doors and can squeeze through openings slightly larger than 1/4 inch in diameter. They often build nests in attics and basements and wander about at night in search of food.
Since house mice can cause damage to structures and property and can transmit diseases such as salmonellosis and swine dysentery, it is imperative to keep the mice out of your home. Unfortunately, chances are, where there is one mouse, there are more. In one year, a female may have five to 10 litters of usually five or six young each.
If your home is infested, some form of population reduction, such as fumigation, trapping or poisoning is recommended. But whether you have two or 12 mice in your home, to really stop them in their tracks, you must eliminate their point of entry.
To do this, seal cracks in foundations larger than 1/4 inch with concrete, and seal water pipe openings, vents and utilities with metal or concrete. If you need a fast fix, steel wool will work as a temporary plug. Also make sure that doors, windows and screens fit tightly, and cover the edges of doors and windows with metal to prevent gnawing. Latex, plastic, rubber, wood or other chewable materials are unsuitable for plugging holes used by mice.