9 Tips to Pest-Proof Your Home During Winter

Winter is in full swing. And while this may mean things are slowing down in the lives of bees and ants, there are many pests whose winters are still busy. The last thing you want are extra guests in your house over the winter. Here are a few helpful tips from the National Pest Management Association for how you can pest-proof your home this winter:

  1. Screen attic vents and openings to chimneys
  2. Eliminate moisture sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains
  3. Seal cracks and crevices on the outside of the home using caulk and steel wool. Pay close attention where utility pipes enter the structure
  4. Store food in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly in sealed receptacles
  5. Replace loose mortar and weather stripping around the basement foundation and windows
  6. Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house; keep shrubbery well-trimmed
  7. Install door sweeps and repair damaged screens
  8. Inspect items such as boxes of decorations and grocery bags before bringing them indoors
  9. Properly take care of holiday decorations before they are set up and before they are stored or discarded

Remember, it’s always best to contact a professional if you suspect an infestation of any kind. Batzner has been protecting Wisconsin homes for over 70 years. Our experienced service specialists are the best in the business at handling any type of pest, and would love to help keep your home pest-free this winter season—and beyond!

New and Improved – Mosquito Reduction Program

Learn more about Batzner’s Mosquito Program.

I think most people would agree that the worst part of summer in southeastern Wisconsin is the mosquitoes. No one likes being driven out of their own back yard on a beautiful summer night because the bugs are too bad; unfortunately, though, that may be happening quite often this summer. We received above average amounts of rain last spring and heavy precipitation already this year, and the National Weather Service is predicting a hotter than usual summer- basically the perfect conditions for large populations of mosquitoes.

Batzner can help you combat the swarms and protect you from the annoyance and diseases brought by mosquitoes with our Mosquito Program. Our new approach is more effective due to a change in our application method. We utilize a mister rather than a spray, which allows the product to coat the undersides of trees, bushes, and other shady areas, all of which are key breeding and hangout spots for mosquitoes. By targeting these areas, we can drastically reduce the number of mosquitoes around your yard.

The program includes two scheduled treatments over the course of the summer and additional callbacks if necessary. Each application has a residual effect for 60 to 90 days, and is applied to targeted areas rather than the entire lawn to provide less chemical exposure to you and your family. We also do a more intensive specialty treatment for weddings and other outdoor events.

We are very excited to show you what a relief our new Mosquito Reduction Program can provide, contact us today to make sure that your outdoor property is safe and enjoyable this summer!

Batzner Investigates Powderpost Beetles in Kitchen Table

Imagine buying your first home and filling it up with your dream furniture, only to discover that the furniture you’ve just purchased came with some hitchhikers. That’s what happened to one of our new clients.

The engaged couple had just bought their first home together and decided to splurge on their “dream kitchen table”. It was in their kitchen for a few days when she noticed a very fine, powdery sawdust accumulating on the seats of the chairs that were pushed under the table.

After purchasing the home, she noticed there had been some of Batzner’s bait stations in the basement left behind by the previous owner, so she decided to give Batzner a call. She described her situation and the evidence she was seeing to one of our Residential Service Consultants (RSC), who concluded her table was possibly the home to some powderpost beetles. The RSC recommended she wrap the table in plastic and place it in the garage until it could be shipped back to the company.

Since powderpost beetles are covered under Batzner’s pestfree365 program, the homeowner decided to sign up for our protection program. When Jack Yoo, Lead Service Specialist, showed up for her initial appointment, the kitchen table was still in her garage. He was able to analyze the table and spotted some live beetles crawling beneath the plastic wrap. This and the evidence of the fine powder left behind on her kitchen chairs (she saved it for Jack to see) was enough to confirm the presence of powderpost beetles. The owner also informed Jack that the table originated from India and was then shipped to her from a warehouse in Chicago. The powderpost beetles could have originated in India; however the customs process is pretty intense and items are usually keep in quarantine for a time to watch for pest activity, so the pests could have been picked up while in storage in Chicago as well.

When bringing new items into your home, it is always advised to visually inspect the package as you open it. By doing this, you can protect yourself and your family from allowing a possible pest infestation to occur.

Batzner Identifies the Backyard Culprit Digging Holes in a Client’s Yard

In a recent visit to a client’s home, the owner pointed out mysterious holes that kept appearing in her lawn. The owner mentioned two trees had just been removed from the areas where the holes were being dug in preparation for landscaping. As Lead Service Specialist, Jack Yoo, investigated, he looked in both areas the holes were appearing and evaluated the size of the holes. It was important for him to note that the holes were not part of a tunnel system. He concluded that a skunk was likely the culprit in this case. As he explains in the video, the skunk was digging for webworms, which eat the roots of grass. Skunks can smell them and start digging in various places trying to locate their next meal. In this case, the offender was looking for something to eat, not somewhere to live (in which case, there would have been more tunneling).