Absolute Pest Services

08/27/2026

Another FYI, these are highly invasive and plant damaging pest. They’ve been spreading north after originally being identified in Pennsylvania in 2014. The last few years populations have been becoming more frequent in MA., CT., and RI, and now confirmed in southern NH. Unfortunately it’s most likely just a matter of time before they are found in Maine. If you see them they need to be destroyed and reported to the Maine Dept of Agriculture.

A small number of spotted lanternflies have been confirmed in Salem by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. The pest's arrival was long anticipated and poses risks to local agriculture. If you spot a spotted lanternfly, report it at nhbugs.org.

08/27/2026

Finally making some progress getting my office set up, so I was going through some things yesterday and found this picture.
Talk about TBT, Throw back Thursday. I’m not sure of the year but I’m thinking maybe early 1990s? This was probably one of the most unusual jobs I’ve sold, been involved with. Treating dunnage from a cargo ship that was moored in Portland harbor after being ordered to be removed from a pier by USDA APHIS inspectors. Upon inspection before the ship could off load cargo they found weaver ants, non native potentially invasive species that are native to South East Asia, Malaysia. The ship was quarantined until treatment was arranged. Very long story and very long weekend treating dunnage from the holds of the ship. This situation had USDA APHIS, Border Patrol ( before the days of ICE) and several other regulatory agencies involved. This all started as a call back for a client in Portland where the ship was originally docked and scheduled to be off loaded. Turned into quite an involved, and expensive service.
I’ve seen more than a few unusual jobs in 48+ years doing this, but this one stands out I would say as one of the top few in my memory.

08/21/2026

Facebook wants to know what’s on my mind, Wood Roaches!

08/18/2026

The wasps, yellow jacket populations have been building up all summer, and now the nest are getting quite large and they are becoming quite aggressive. I’ve treated 4 nest in Lisbon, Lisbon Falls in the last 24 hours. Don’t risk being stung, or in one case having pets stung by these nasty aggressive pest. As you can see from the videos when I tipped this planter over they were nesting in the become very active and very aggressive. This is not a situation that most home owners should attempt to deal with themselves. Got hornets, wasp, yellow-jackets? Yeah, we do that. Give me a call, text or message. Happy to help you with this or any other pest concerns.

08/13/2026

FYI:

The Maine Board of Pesticides Control and Maine Department of Environmental Protection are hosting their annual Obsolete Pesticide Collection Programs in Maine. The events will take place in November at locations in Presque Isle, Bangor, Augusta, and Portland. This event is FREE for Maine residents, homeowners, and family-owned farms. Any pesticides or adjuvants are accepted. Registration prior to the event is required, and accepted participants will be notified of specific event details. This event is ONLY for pesticides, BPC will not accept oils, paints, or other hazardous materials. Registrations must be received by October 5th, 2026 to participate. Please see the attached event flyer for more details. Interested individuals can visit the BPC website to sign up or contact the BPC at 207-287-2731 or [email protected].

There are a few places that accept hazardous waste like pesticides in Maine. Check out the resources below for more information.

Facilities Accepting Hazardous Waste:

The Environmental Depot in Auburn
(AVCOG, 207-783-9186)
Riverside Recycling Facility in Portland (207-797-6200)

These facilities serve as collection sites for household hazardous waste from all Maine residents. They are separate facilities from the Maine Board of Pesticides Control. Check their websites for schedule, hours, and charges. These locations may only accept hazardous waste on specific days.

08/13/2026

Good info for DIY folks or anyone else who has old pesticides they no longer need or use on how to properly, safely dispose of them. Pesticides in the right hands being used by someone who understands the label instructions and how to use them properly are important, valuable tools. Improper use or disposal can be an environmental hazard. If you had pesticides you no longer want or need this is a great opportunity to distort them safely.

The Maine Board of Pesticides Control and Maine Department of Environmental Protection are hosting their annual Obsolete Pesticide Collection Programs in Maine. The events will take place in November at locations in Presque Isle, Bangor, Augusta, and Portland. This event is FREE for Maine residents, homeowners, and family-owned farms. Any pesticides or adjuvants are accepted. Registration prior to the event is required, and accepted participants will be notified of specific event details. This event is ONLY for pesticides, BPC will not accept oils, paints, or other hazardous materials. Registrations must be received by October 5th, 2026 to participate. Please see the attached event flyer for more details. Interested individuals can visit the BPC website to sign up or contact the BPC at 207-287-2731 or [email protected].

There are a few places that accept hazardous waste like pesticides in Maine. Check out the resources below for more information.

Facilities Accepting Hazardous Waste:

The Environmental Depot in Auburn
(AVCOG, 207-783-9186)
Riverside Recycling Facility in Portland (207-797-6200)

These facilities serve as collection sites for household hazardous waste from all Maine residents. They are separate facilities from the Maine Board of Pesticides Control. Check their websites for schedule, hours, and charges. These locations may only accept hazardous waste on specific days.

08/13/2026

Wasp nest treatment yesterday. It was a little hard to get a good picture laying on the ground underneath a deck with a bee-suit and gloves on while wasp are swarming around you. This was directly under the front door to the house. Was a bit risky for the residents to go in and out without risking being stung. That risk was quickly eliminated!
Got a wasp/ hornet nest that needs to be taken care of ? Let me know, I can help you with that or other pest issues. Yeah, we do that!

08/11/2026

I miss being on “ What’s Bugging You” every month for years on WVOM. Would love for them to bring that back. It was great getting to talk to callers and answer their questions and give them advice, recommendations regarding pest concerns or questions. I think everyone in Maine who use to listen should contact Rick and ask that it be brought back. In the interim if you have any pest related questions, feel free to reach out to me anytime.

08/11/2026

Let me apologize in advance, because I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I’m also a realist. While we’re enjoying these nice warm August days, and nights the reality is that summer is quite quickly winding down. It’s already August 11 so we’re over a third of the way through the month. The sunsets today at 7:51 so we will have daylight for at least 20 minutes after that. The average overnight low temperature for today in central Maine is approximately 58°. By the end of August, the sunsets around 7:20, and the overnight low temperature is in the low 50s. With less daylight hours, and cooler overnight temperatures the season where insects and rodents that thrive outdoors during the summer start looking for opportunities to get into buildings to find warmth and shelter is quickly approaching.
This is the ideal time of year to be thinking about weatherproofing your home, as well as pest proofing it. Do your windows seal tightly when closed, do you have doors that have gaps that could allow pest to enter, that need new door sweeps? Are there gaps around utility entrances into the home that should be sealed to keep both cold weather, and pest out?
A mouse can gain entrance through a gap as small as 1/4 inch, and pest such as Asian lady beetles, cluster flies, conifer seed bugs, etc. that are frequent nuisances in homes when they come into over winter much smaller gaps around windows, doors, etc. can allow them to gain entrance. Inspecting your home now to identify potential entry points, and sealing them can make a substantial difference in potential to reduce pest concerns through the cooler seasons, which unfortunately will be arriving soon.
If you’ve experienced pest issues in your home during the colder parts of the year in the past, this is the ideal time to take a good look at what could be done to minimize those issues this year.
It may also be time to consider having preventive services done to help minimize pest issues, particularly if your home has a history of these issues.
I would be glad to help you with preventive services, or inspection/consultation on things that can be done to help prevent these types of issues.
Give me a call/text or send me a message if there are any pest issues that I can help you with. Yeah, we do that!

08/10/2026

I am sharing this as a public service announcement. This was posted today by the Lisbon Police Department . I don’t offer wildlife control services, but I can connect you with people who do if needed.
If you have contact or concerns about a bat or any other wildlife, it’s very important to be aware of the risk of handling them. Leave it to trained professionals to deal with wildlife management.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D9sHDuHAj/?mibextid=wwXIfr

⚠️ Rabies Notification – Bat Tests Positive in Lisbon ⚠️

The Lisbon Police Department has been notified that a bat found inside a residence in Lisbon has tested positive for rabies.

Fortunately, the bat did not bite or have any known contact with anyone inside the residence.

Residents are reminded that if you find a bat inside your home, do not handle it with your bare hands. Keep people and pets away from the bat and contact one of the following resources for guidance and assistance:

• Maine CDC: 1-800-821-5821
• Maine Wildlife Conflict Agent: 1-207-624-7076, Extension #9

A Wildlife Conflict Agent can assist with arranging for someone to retrieve the bat when appropriate.

Please use caution around bats and other wild animals, and contact the Maine CDC if you have concerns about a possible rabies exposure. More information can be found at: www.maine.gov/dhhs/rabies

If there is an emergency or an immediate threat to public safety, dial 911.