FAQ’s/Help Center

Homes and businesses throughout Union, Essex, and Hudson Counties can experience pest activity year-round.

Some of the most common pests we encounter include:

• Ants and carpenter ants
• Cockroaches
• Mice and rats
• Termites
• Bed bugs
• Mosquitoes
• Ticks
• Wasps and hornets
• Yellow jackets
• Spiders
• Fleas
• Flies
• Pantry and stored-product pests
• Other occasional invading insects

The pests you’re most likely to encounter can vary depending on the season, weather, type and age of the building, surrounding environment, and whether the property is residential, commercial, or multifamily.

Consider calling a professional pest control company if:

• You repeatedly see pests.
• You find droppings or nesting materials.
• You hear scratching in walls or ceilings.
• You notice unexplained property damage.
• You discover an active nest.
• You suspect termites or bed bugs.
• Rodents continue returning after trapping.
• Store-bought treatments aren’t solving the problem.
• Pest activity is affecting your home or business.

The important first step is properly identifying the pest and determining where the problem is coming from.

The terms are often used interchangeably, but modern pest management should involve more than simply eliminating the pests you can see.

Effective pest control looks at the entire problem:

Identify the Pest → Find the Source → Determine How It’s Getting In → Treat the Problem → Help Prevent It From Returning

This approach can provide better long-term results than simply spraying visible insects.

Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is an approach to pest control that combines pest identification and monitoring with prevention, sanitation, exclusion, structural corrections, and appropriate pest-control treatments.

The objective is to understand why pests are present and what conditions are allowing them to survive rather than automatically treating every pest problem the same way.

Pest-control products must be used according to their labels and applicable regulations.

The appropriate treatment depends on the pest, property, and conditions involved. Your pest-control professional should explain preparation requirements and any precautions or re-entry instructions associated with your treatment.

Always let your technician know about children, pets, or other concerns before treatment begins.

Not always.

It depends on the type of pest, product being used, treatment method, and areas being treated.

If temporary vacancy or a specific re-entry period is necessary, Divine Pest Specialists will explain those instructions before treatment.

There isn’t one schedule that’s right for every property.

Some pest problems may require a specific treatment and follow-up. Properties with ongoing pest pressure may benefit from a preventative pest-management program.

Factors include:

• Previous pest activity
• Property age and construction
• Nearby vegetation
• Moisture
• Food and water sources
• Structural openings
• Single-family versus multifamily
• construction
• Residential versus commercial use

Ants typically enter homes searching for food, moisture, or shelter.

They can enter through tiny cracks around foundations, windows, doors, siding, utility penetrations, and plumbing.

Once ants discover a reliable food or water source, they can establish trails that bring additional colony members inside.

Because the ants you’re seeing may represent only a small portion of the colony.

Spraying visible ants doesn’t necessarily eliminate the nest.

Depending on the species, effective ant control may require identifying nesting areas, trails, entry points, food sources, and moisture conditions.

Carpenter ants don’t eat wood like termites. Instead, they excavate wood to create nesting galleries.

They are frequently associated with damp, deteriorated, or moisture-damaged wood.

Persistent carpenter ant activity should be investigated because the nest may be located within or near the structure.

Carpenter ants and termites are completely different insects even though both can be associated with wood.

Carpenter ants excavate wood to create nests. Termites actually consume cellulose-containing materials, including wood.

Because termite activity can remain hidden, suspicious insects or wood damage should be professionally evaluated.

Cockroaches are not necessarily an indication that a home is dirty.

They can enter buildings through packages, cardboard boxes, grocery bags, deliveries, plumbing areas, and adjoining apartments.

This can be particularly challenging in apartments and multifamily buildings throughout Hudson, Essex, and Union Counties, where pests may move between adjoining units and common areas.

Common cockroach hiding areas include:

• Behind appliances
• Beneath sinks
• Inside cabinets
• Around plumbing
• Wall voids
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Basements
• Utility rooms

Cockroaches generally prefer protected areas with access to food, moisture, and warmth.

Sprays may kill individual cockroaches without eliminating the larger infestation.

Effective cockroach control may require locating hidden harborages, identifying the species, reducing food and moisture sources, and selecting treatments designed to reach the larger population.

Mice can squeeze through surprisingly small openings.

Common entry points include gaps around:

• Foundations
• Exterior doors
• Garage doors
• Utility lines
• Pipes
• Vents
• Siding
• Rooflines

Rodent pressure often increases during cooler weather as mice look for food, warmth, and shelter.

Look for:

• Mouse droppings
• Scratching inside walls or ceilings
• Gnaw marks
• Damaged food packages
• Nesting material
• Unusual pet behavior
• Grease or rub marks
• Musty odors
• Actual mouse sightings

Not necessarily—but there could be.

Mice are secretive and frequently active when people aren’t around. Seeing a mouse is a good reason to inspect the property for additional activity and possible entry points.

Trapping removes individual mice. It doesn’t necessarily solve how they’re entering the building.

Long-term rodent management often requires a combination of population control, sanitation, and rodent exclusion—identifying and closing potential entry points.

Yes.

Rodents can gnaw on building materials and stored belongings and can contaminate areas with droppings and urine.

Rodent activity should be addressed rather than ignored.

Yes.

Termites are an important structural pest in New Jersey and can remain hidden in soil, walls, and structural wood for extended periods.

Possible warning signs include:

• Mud tubes
• Discarded wings
• Termite swarmers
• Damaged wood
• Hollow-sounding wood
• Blistered or damaged wood surfaces
• Visible termite activity

However, termites can also be present without obvious visible signs.

Termite swarming is commonly associated with warmer conditions during the spring, although exact timing varies depending on weather, temperature, and moisture.

A termite swarm inside your home or immediately around the structure should be investigated.

No.

Flying ants and termite swarmers can look similar, but their bodies, antennae, and wings differ.

If you aren’t sure what you’re seeing, professional identification is preferable to guessing.

It can be worthwhile, particularly if:

• You’re buying or selling a home.
• Termites have previously been found on the property.
• You see suspicious wood damage.
• There are moisture problems.
• You notice swarmers or discarded wings.

Bed bugs are hitchhikers.

They can be transported through:

• Luggage
• Clothing
• Furniture
• Personal belongings
• Hotels
• Apartments
• Dormitories
• Shared transportation

Bed bugs are not caused by poor housekeeping.

Possible signs include:

• Live bed bugs
• Shed skins
• Eggs
• Dark spotting on mattresses or furniture
• Blood spotting
• Unexplained bites or skin reactions

Bites alone are not enough to confirm a bed bug infestation.

Yes.

Bed bugs can potentially move between adjoining units, making early identification particularly important in apartment and multifamily properties.

This can be especially relevant in densely developed communities such as Jersey City, Hoboken, Newark, Elizabeth, and other areas of Hudson, Essex, and Union Counties.

Bed bugs are difficult pests to eliminate.

Improper treatment may fail to reach hidden bugs and eggs and can potentially spread activity to additional areas.

Professional inspection and a structured treatment plan are generally recommended when bed bugs are suspected.

Mosquito activity generally increases as New Jersey temperatures warm and can continue through summer and into early fall depending on weather conditions.

Standing water provides mosquitoes with potential breeding habitat.

Check for water collecting in:

• Gutters
• Birdbaths
• Planters
• Buckets
• Children’s toys
• Tarps
• Outdoor containers
• Drainage areas

Eliminating unnecessary standing water is one of the most important steps homeowners can take.

Yes.

Ticks are a significant concern throughout New Jersey, particularly around properties with wooded areas, tall grass, brush, leaf litter, and wildlife activity.

Helpful steps include:

• Keep grass maintained.
• Remove accumulated leaf litter.
• Trim overgrown vegetation.
• Reduce heavy brush.
• Create separation between wooded areas and frequently used portions of the yard.
• Discourage wildlife activity where practical.

Professional tick treatments may provide an additional level of control for properties with significant tick pressure.

They are different types of stinging insects with different nesting locations and behaviors.

Nests may be found:

• Underground
• In trees
• Under rooflines
• Beneath decks
• Around eaves
• Inside wall voids
• In other protected locations

Correct identification helps determine the appropriate treatment.

Use caution.

Disturbing an active nest can trigger defensive behavior and multiple stings.

Large nests, difficult-to-reach nests, and nests located near doors, walkways, decks or other frequently used areas are generally better handled professionally.

Yellow jacket colonies grow throughout the warmer months and can become quite large later in the season.

Changes in their food-seeking behavior can also increase encounters with people during late summer and early fall.

Spiders enter buildings looking for shelter and prey.

A large spider population may also indicate that other insects—the spiders’ food source—are present.

Reducing insect activity and sealing exterior entry points can help reduce spider activity.

A flea infestation involves much more than the adult fleas you see.

Eggs and developing fleas may be present in carpeting, furniture, cracks, and pet bedding.

Effective control may require treating the environment while pets are appropriately treated under veterinary guidance.

Pantry or stored-product pests can infest dry foods including:

• Flour
• Rice
• Cereal
• Pasta
• Nuts
• Spices
• Pet food
• Birdseed

Finding and removing the infested product is an important part of eliminating the problem.