http://www.acepestsolutions.com/

ACE Pest Solutions Llc., Audra Park Road, Belington, WV (2026)

01/28/2026

🦟 The "Sleepy" Winter Guest: 5 Facts About Cluster Flies

Ever notice those large, slow-moving flies buzzing around your windows on a sunny winter day? They aren't your typical houseflies—they’re Cluster Flies!
Here’s why they’ve decided to move into your home this winter:

1. They are "overwintering" experts. Unlike houseflies that breed in trash, Cluster Flies spend the summer outdoors. When the WV temperatures drop, they crawl into the nooks and crannies of your siding and attic to hibernate.

2. They love the sun. On warm winter days, they "wake up" and head toward the light. This is why you usually find them clustered (hence the name!) around windows or lamps.

3. They aren't interested in your food. They don't lay eggs in your kitchen and they don't carry the same diseases as filth flies. Their larvae actually develop inside earthworms outdoors!

4. They follow the leader. These flies release a "clustering pheromone" (a scent) that tells all their friends exactly which crack in your wall is the best place to hide.

5. Squashing isn't the best idea. If you crush them, they can leave a greasy spot and a faint, sickly-sweet odor.

💡 Pro-Tip: The best way to handle them in the winter is a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment. Just suck them up and empty the canister outside!

Have you seen these "zombie flies" around your house lately? Let us know in the comments! 👇

01/06/2026

Norway Rats

🐀 Did You Know? (Fun & Fast Facts)

The Name Game: Despite being called "Norway" rats, they actually originated in northern China and Mongolia.

Super Swimmers: They are excellent swimmers and can even paddle for up to three days! They have been known to enter buildings through sewer pipes and toilets.

Gnaw Masters: Their teeth never stop growing. To keep them sharp and short, they chew on almost anything—including wood, plastic, and even soft metals like lead or aluminum.

Olympic Jumpers: A Norway rat can jump nearly 3 feet straight up and over 4 feet horizontally.

🔍 How to Spot Them

Unlike Roof rats, which like heights, Norway rats are ground-dwellers. Look for these signs around your property:

Burrows: Found in the soil near foundations, under woodpiles, or beneath concrete slabs.

Droppings: Capsule-shaped with blunt ends (about 19mm or 3/4 inch long).

Rub Marks: Greasy, dark smudge marks along baseboards or walls where their oily fur rubs as they travel.

Activity: They are mostly nocturnal. If you see one during the day, it usually means the colony is getting crowded.

💡 "Myth vs. Reality"

Myth: Rats love cheese. 🧀

Reality: While they’ll eat it if hungry, they actually prefer high-protein foods like peanut butter, bacon, or dried fruit. (If you're setting a trap, peanut butter is your best friend!)

12/17/2025

What's That Pest Wednesday?

🐭 Tiny Tenant, Big Problems: 5 Facts About the House Mouse!

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is common, but don't let its size fool you—it's a massive public health pest!

1️⃣ Acrobatic Invaders: They can squeeze through an opening the size of a pencil (1/4 inch) and jump vertically up to 18 inches. They are also excellent climbers, using their long tails for balance.

2️⃣ Always Gnawing: Their incisor teeth grow continuously, forcing them to chew constantly on hard objects (like wires and wood) to wear them down. This behavior is a leading cause of home damage and electrical fires.

3️⃣ Rapid Reproduction: A single female can produce up to 5-10 litters per year, with pups reaching sexual maturity in just six weeks. A small problem can become a huge infestation fast.

4️⃣ Poor Eyesight, Great Smell: Mice are nearsighted and nocturnal, relying heavily on their strong sense of smell and touch (using their whiskers) to navigate along walls (thigmotaxis).

5️⃣ Serious Health Risk: Mice spread diseases directly through their urine, f***s, and saliva. The primary viral risk is Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV). They can also spread bacteria like Salmonella and are major triggers for allergies and asthma.

Stay Safe: Never dry-sweep droppings! Use disinfectant and ventilation to clean up properly.

Call: (304)695-1619 Email: Contact@acepestsolutions.com

12/10/2025

Call: (304)695-1619
Email: [email protected]

12/10/2025

💨 The Stink and Defense

The Name: Stink bugs (scientifically in the family Pentatomidae) get their name from scent glands located in their thorax.

The Smell: They release a foul odor—often described as smelling like cilantro, coriander, or rotting vegetables—as a defense mechanism when they are disturbed, injured, or threatened by predators.

A Nuisance, Not a Threat: They do not bite or sting humans and are not known to transmit diseases. However, their smell can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, and squishing them can leave a lingering scent and even a stain.

🌎 Origin

Invasive Species: The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is native to East Asia (China, Japan, Korea).

🍎 Diet and Agricultural Impact

Plant Feeders: Most stink bugs are primarily herbivores. They feed on a very wide variety of plants, fruits, vegetables, and field crops.

How They Eat: They use piercing-sucking mouthparts to puncture the surface of a plant or fruit and suck out the juices.

Major Pests: They are considered a serious agricultural pest. Their feeding causes cosmetic damage (spots, discoloration) and can lead to fruit deformity, often making crops like apples, peaches, tomatoes, and corn unmarketable.

"Cat-Facing" Damage: The damage they cause to developing fruits can sometimes make them resemble a cat's face, earning them the nickname "cat-facing insects."

Predatory Species: Note that a few species, like the Spined Soldier Bug, are actually beneficial predators that feed on other insect pests.

🏡 Habitat and Lifecycle

Appearance: Adults are typically a shield-shaped, mottled brown or gray, and about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long.

Overwintering: They are active in the warmer months. As temperatures drop in late summer and fall, adult stink bugs seek a protected place to spend the winter, a process called overwintering.

Indoor Pests: This is why they become a nuisance, as they often congregate on the sunny sides of buildings and slip through cracks and openings into homes, attics, and wall voids. They do not reproduce or feed while overwintering indoors.

12/03/2025

What's that pest Wednesday?

🐞The Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis), also known as the multicolored Asian lady beetle (MALB) or harlequin ladybird, is often mistaken for a native ladybug but has very different behavior, particularly in the fall and winter.

Here are the key facts about the Asian lady beetle:

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle Facts

Identification

Distinctive Mark: The most reliable way to identify them is the black "M" or "W" shaped mark on the whitish area (the pronotum) just behind their head.

Color Variation (Polymorphic): Unlike native ladybugs that are usually bright red, MALBs are highly variable. Their color can range from pale yellow or mustard-orange to deep red or even all black.

Spot Variation: They can have anywhere from zero to 19 black spots, which can be faint or very prominent.

Shape and Size: They are generally slightly larger (about 5.5 to 8.5 mm long) and have a more elongated, oval body compared to the round, dome-like shape of many native ladybugs.

Invasive Species: It is native to Asia (Japan, China, Siberia) and was intentionally introduced and accidentally arrived in North America and Europe multiple times starting in the early 20th century to control agricultural pests.

Behavior & Impact

Pest Control Value: Like native ladybugs, they are voracious predators of aphids, scale insects, and mites in gardens and fields, making them beneficial for most of the growing season.

The Indoor Nuisance: This is their most notorious trait. Unlike native ladybugs, MALBs seek out buildings, homes, and structures in the fall to overwinter (hibernate), often gathering in massive clusters on sunny, south-facing walls.

Staining and Odor: When disturbed or crushed, they perform "reflex bleeding" by releasing a yellow, foul-smelling fluid (hemolymph) from their leg joints. This secretion can stain carpets, curtains, and walls.

The Bite: While not aggressive or medically dangerous, they are known to occasionally bite humans, especially when they land on skin in search of moisture during the dry winter months. The bite feels like a harmless pinprick.

Grape Damage: In vineyards, they are a significant pest. If accidentally harvested with wine grapes, their defensive secretions will taint the juice, leading to "ladybug taint" in the finished wine.

Competition with Native Species: Their establishment has been linked to the decline of several native North American lady beetle species, possibly through competition for food and outright predation (cannibalism) on the native larvae and eggs.

11/26/2025

What's that pest Wednesday?

German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) are the most common indoor pest roach globally, known for rapid reproduction and disease risk.
🐞 Key Characteristics
Size: Small (1/2 to 5/8 inch).
Color: Tan to light brown.
Identification: Distinctive feature is two dark, parallel stripes on the back of the head shield (pronotum).
Activity: They are nocturnal and prefer to run; they rarely fly.
🏠 Habitat and Life Cycle
Habitat: They seek warm, humid areas and are almost exclusively found indoors (kitchens, bathrooms, appliances, and crevices).
Reproduction: They are extremely prolific. The female carries an egg case (ootheca) containing 30–40 eggs.
Speed: Their life cycle is fast, taking as little as 10 weeks from egg to adult, leading to rapid, large-scale infestations.
⚕️ Risks
Health: They spread bacteria (Salmonella, E. coli) and pathogens by contaminating food and surfaces.
Allergies: Their droppings and shed skins are significant allergens and are a leading trigger for asthma, especially in children.

11/19/2025

What's that pest Wednesday?

Bed bugs are tiny, reddish-brown parasitic insects that feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, typically at night.

Size: About the size of an apple seed (5-7mm long).

Where They Hide: They are expert hiders! Look for them in the cracks and crevices of your mattress, box spring, bed frame, and nearby furniture.

Signs of Infestation:
Bites: Small, red, itchy welts, often appearing in lines or clusters.
Stains: Small blood spots on your sheets or mattress.
Fecal Spots: Tiny dark or rusty spots (excrement) on fabric or walls.
Skins: Shed exoskeletons (light brown, empty shells).

Travelers: They are great hitchhikers and often travel on luggage, clothing, and used furniture.

ACE Pest Solutions Llc.

01/28/2026

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12/17/2025

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