Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Prest Prevention # 14 Ivy growing up the side of the house needs to be removed.
This is Roger Tinker, Owner and General Manager of All Star Pest Control located in
Columbus, Georgia.
The Pest Prevention tip for today is Ivy growing up the side of your house needs to be cut. I am going
to cover just a few of the pest that ivy will attract.
Our company serviced a home for many years, and we began to notice rodent droppings in a
bathroom on the 2 nd story of this home. I told the homeowner that the roof rats were using the ivy as a
highway to get into the bathroom. We suggested they cut the ivy down. The lady of the house refused
to allow the ivy to be cut down and the rodents continued to invade the bathroom. Finally, against her
wishes, the husband removed the ivy from the side of the house. The rodent invasions immediately
disappeared. The lady of the house forgave her husband but still insisted that it looked so nice. Once
the ivy was removed, rooted window frames were discovered because of moisture built up from the
ivy around the windows. Several windows had to be replaced because they could not be repaired.
Ivy can be a habitat for many other pest.
Mosquitos like to shade themselves from the sun and ivy growing up on the side of a house offers
them large areas of ample shade from the sun. A mosquito treatment is going to be much more
effective if the ivy is removed from the side of the house and less pesticide will be required for the
treatment.
Ivy is also an ideal place for spiders to hide in. It is almost impossible to treat ivy on a 2 story home
for spiders. Treatment can be done, but at an increase cost to the customer.
Ivy growing up the side of the house needs to be removed regardless of how nice it may make
the house look.
Please feel free to contact me if I can help you in any way.
