Author Archives: Greg Pettis

What are a Spotted Lanternfly’s Natural Enemies?

By now, you’ve likely learned about the threat that spotted lanternflies post to Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry. The state deemed the spotted lanternfly an invasive species because it feeds through tree bark, excreting a honeydew that’s harmful to trees and plants.  The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture issued an order that calls upon Pennsylvania residents to follow its guidelines to prevent the spread of spotted lanternflies.

At the onset of the infestation, it seemed as though the spotted lanternfly had no known enemies besides humans. We are seeing that play out differently now. Some natural enemies attack the spotted lanternfly and there do exist some natural lanternfly predators. Scientists continue to study possible biological control of the non-native, invasive spotted lanternfly.

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stages of spotted lantern flies

When and How to Kill Spotted Lanternflies: Fall Control is the Answer

The spotted lanternfly continues to invade Pennsylvania and negatively impact orchards, tree nurseries, forests, vineyards, and properties in general. The spotted lanternfly is a major threat to the state’s wine and beer industry, too.

SLFs feed on tree sap and excrete a tree-suffocating honeydew (partially digested tree sap) that causes damaging mold to form.

The Pennsylvania Agriculture Department recommends treating your property now, for double the impact. Here’s why:

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Summer Pest Control Tips to Keep Bugs Away

Summer is such an active time for pests. Unfortunately, it’s also the time of year we’re most active too! To help protect you and your family from annoying insects, we offer these helpful tips for yard pest control that focus on some of the most common summer pests: mosquitoes, ants, ticks, and stink bugs.

You won’t be able to completely rid the outdoors of these nuisances, but you can lessen their numbers so that you can stay outside longer and enjoy the summer.

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After Covid-19, The Spotted Lanternfly Could Be Public Enemy No. 1

There’s never been a better opportunity to play a huge role in supporting Pennsylvania’s farming community. How? Join us in the fight against the spotted lanternfly!

What is a spotted lanternfly?

The spotted lanternfly is a planthopper native to parts of China, India, Vietnam and eastern Asia. An adult lanternfly is about an inch long, with black-spotted gray forewings and hind wings with patches of red and black, and a white band. In the fall, they lay egg masses on their host trees.

It’s an invasive, destructive pest and an economic threat.

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Dominion and COVID-19: Our Commercial Disinfecting Services

Pest Control and COVID-19

We’re proud to be among the elite few pest control companies with the equipment and training to perform these services. The EPA has added the concentrate that we use to “List N”, which is deemed to be effective against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. Now, this is a lot of technical jargon to simply say: we want to help you stay healthy!

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Lanternflies: They’re Back! The Impact of Spotted Lanternflies on Pennsylvania

It’s been a lovely winter away from those pesky Spotted Lanternflies – but they’re on their way back. As we’ve rested comfortably in our warm, cozy homes, the Lanternflies lurked around us, hiding away in egg masses attached to our trees.

One of the questions we’re asked here at Dominion Pest Control is “what can we do?”. It may seem like the little buggers are everywhere and, no matter how many you stomp while out on your afternoon walk, you’ll never get them all.

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TAP Insulation – The What, Why, and How of our Newest Endeavor

Did you know that according to the Department of Energy, 9 out of every 10 homes are under-insulated? Not only could this mean sky-high energy bills for your family as temperatures continue to plummet, but it could also mean that your attic is home to unwanted pests like ants, termites, silverfish, or cockroaches! What’s a homeowner to do?

Dominion Pest Control has some exciting news – we’re officially certified to install TAP insulation! What is TAP insulation, you ask? TAP stands for Thermal Acoustic Pest Control insulation, and it’s changing the home insulation game.

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Shoo, Flea, Don’t Bother Me (Or My Pets!)

Even though it’s getting cold and many pests are taking shelter for the winter, one little critter is still going strong – fleas! Fleas love hitching a ride into the warmth of your home via your furry family members’ thick coats, making them difficult to find and even harder to eliminate. Continue reading