You may not be aware of this, but your home naturally shares quite a bit of air with your crawl space due to openings around your pipes, ducts, and electrical fixtures.  That means that if you have mold in your crawl space, you’re breathing in that mold on a daily basis.  As we said last time, the CleanSpace System seals off the air in the crawl space and then dehumidifies and freshens it.  That means that only clean air will be coming into your house from below; you won’t bring in any moldy, bad air.

Consider the implications of having a crawl space that is free from damp, moldy air and that is covered in a clean, white, durable liner.  Installing the CleanSpace System essentially converts your crawl space into one huge, white-walled closet.  Pests will be repelled by the lack of moisture, which is certainly more than you can say for your attic. The only items you couldn’t store there would be temperature-sensitive items (like electronics), but your attic shares that limiting factor without the moisture guarantee.  Many people add small lights under the house when they have the system installed.  Then, if your crawl space isn’t too low, you can comfortably go down there whenever you’d like to retrieve Christmas decorations or other stored items.  Please stop for a moment and smile with me while you imagine adding a closet that is as big as the ground floor of your house.  Now that’s good news!

The CleanSpace System won’t just increase your space; it will also decrease your bills.  Your HVAC unit spends a lot of energy compensating for the fact that the space below your floors is usually either very hot or very cold.  That’s why floor insulation is so important; it protects your home from absorbing uncomfortable heat or cold from the crawl space.  Once the air beneath your house is cut off from the worst of the outdoor temperature extremes, your HVAC system’s work will be significantly easier, which translates into lower power bills.  Master Dry has done the follow-up to discover how effective the CleanSpace System is at saving money, and they have found impressive results.  Average homeowners save 15% on their power bills!  That’s pretty good news as well, don’t you think?

The CleanSpace System is an investment.  Good products and good service are going to cost money, and we recognize that this may not be for everyone.  However, the savings on electric bills mean that the average homeowner will see payback for the system in 5-8 years.  That makes this an investment that’s worth checking into if you plan on staying in your home for several years or if you want to add an impressive amount of resale value.  Speaking of resale value, did we mention that the system is guaranteed for 25 years?

I hope that we’ve piqued your interest with this article about the CleanSpace Crawl Space Encapsulation System.  If you’re interested in having your trusted pest control company come out to do an inspection, give Russell’s a call at 865.584.8549.  Of course, you can also always reach us on-line right here.  We look forward to talking with you.

Not so long ago, we partnered with a company called Master Dry, which installs CleanSpace Crawl Space Encapsulation Systems.  Perhaps you’re not familiar with the service?  Well, it’s a pretty exciting option for owners of homes with crawl spaces in Knoxville and the surrounding areas.  Let me give you the low-down on how this system works in this article, and next time, I’ll relate the benefits of the system in more detail.

As we mentioned in our article about foundation vents, a damp crawl space can be a very dangerous liability for homeowners.  The presence of excessive moisture almost always leads to fungus or wood rot on your house, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many pests are drawn to damp crawl spaces, including termites, camel crickets, and even rodents.  However, the CleanSpace system allows homeowners not only to combat those issues but to eliminate them entirely.

When installing a CleanSpace system, technicians completely seal off the crawl space from the inside, closing up every vent and crack with their specialized liner that can hold out even the most persistent pests.  Imagine something comparable to a pool liner covering the entire inside of your crawl space.  The technicians carefully secure this liner to your crawl space and foundation walls, making sure that all access for air, water, or creatures is eliminated.

After the crawl space is sealed, a dehumidifier is installed.  Anyone who lives in the South is no stranger to the misery of high humidity, but it’s even worse in your enclosed crawl space.  The dehumidifier ensures that the air in your crawl space stays fresh, clean, and dry; fungus couldn’t survive in that environment even if it did gain access to the crawl space.

You may be thinking that this doesn’t sound like such a good idea since a dehumidifier will likely take maintenance, which would require you to crawl under your house more often.  However, I have two answers to that concern.  The first is that the dehumidifier (which is Energy Star approved) takes no maintenance except for an annual filter change.  The second is that crawling under your house wouldn’t be scary, gross, or inconvenient any more.  The liner holds out all of the bad things that make crawl spaces unpleasant, and it’s bright white, which combats the feeling of claustrophobia that crawl spaces sometimes bring.

This is just the beginning of the good news about the system, and I’ll write about the further benefits soon.  If you want more information, check back here in a couple of weeks.  Or, you can reach us more quickly at 865.584.8549 or on our contact page. 

Silverfish by Jeffrey Hahn, 2006

I did a quick online search to see what people were saying about silverfish, and I was quite surprised by the result.  A lot of people were posting pictures of silverfish that weren’t silverfish at all.  So, to set the record straight, please view the picture on the right for a clear example of a silverfish.  They are sometimes called bristletails (as are their cousins, firebrats, who live in climates over 90° F).  When viewed from above, they have the shape of a thin tear drop with three spikes coming out of their back end.  Their color can range from pale silver to a dark gray, and they can grow to be about half an inch long.  Most of the classification errors I found were made by people who thought that house centipedes were silverfish (you remember those monsters right?).  If I had my preference, I’d choose silverfish over centipedes any day, though it’s best to avoid them both in your home.

You won’t be at all surprised to find that silverfish like humidity and moisture; most pests do.  However, unlike camel crickets, silverfish prefer warm humid places.  Their ideal temperature is about 70° F, which, coincidentally, is a fairly ideal temperature for us as well.  You may find camel crickets cheerfully living in your crawl space, but silverfish would much rather live in the house.  The attic is often a good choice for them because it is not dehumidified by the AC in the summer or the heat in the winter.  Unfortunately, these pests are nocturnal.  Homeowners may not know that silverfish are there until the problem is already quite bad.  That trouble is compounded for business owners since commercial buildings are rarely occupied after dark.

Silverfish Damage by Greg Baumann, NPMA

Silverfish won’t bite you, but they can do some damage to items in your home.  They like to eat starchy substances and, unfortunately, papers are a common meal for them.  That’s another reason why they like the attic; cardboard is attractive to them.  I have heard of silverfish feeding on stored papers, books, or even old photos.  They can damage your possessions posthumously as well because their silver scales can leave a messy smear if you squish them.

In many cases, dehumidification can go a long way toward rousting the silverfish out of your home.  HVAC units can leave houses pretty dry, particularly in the winter, and that will make these bristletails very uncomfortable.  If you know you have a very damp attic, consider having a dehumidifier installed there if you’re having a major silverfish problem.  That will help protect any stored items you have from moisture and will help to eliminate your silverfish issue.  There are also several useful baits available that can be left in unexposed areas for the silverfish to consume.  Remember to read the label if you’re going to try baits on your own.  The label will tell you if a product can be used in a home or attic so you don’t have to wonder if you’re using the right thing.

At Russell’s Pest Control, we believe in a multi-faceted approach to controlling problem pests.  We can inspect and inform you about any moisture issues that we find.  We can also incorporate baits, sticky pads, and liquid treatments that can help to eliminate pests that may already be in the house.  If you have questions, you can reach us at 865.584.8549 or on our contact page.

Camel crickets (sometimes called cave crickets) are a problem in the fall and winter in Knoxville and the surrounding counties, and their nasty habit of hopping at people is unacceptable.  I have never met anyone who could tolerate a camel cricket problem in their home.  So, how can you bring peace to the basement once more?

Camel Cricket by Univar

Believe it or not, in most cases, crickets do not want to be in your house.  Typically, they wander in from outside while hunting for a place to hide from the sun (they’re nocturnal).  A gap under your garage door gives them access to the building, and then they only have to wait for the door to swing open to let them in the house.  What they will find, however, is that there’s nothing good to eat there.  Camel crickets (and other crickets) are rarely destructive in homes; they are plant eaters and will be unimpressed by the food in your kitchen.

In light of that, how do you stop the hoppers?  I return to my stand-by advice:  Seal up the holes into your house!  This is especially relevant now that the weather is getting cold.  Grabbing some caulk or weather stripping is a hassle that you may not need in your busy schedule, but it will benefit your wallet and help to alleviate your pest problem if you can find time for it.  Every hole that you block is another place where cold air can’t get in and warm air can’t get out.  Think of the good you can do for your heating bills this winter.  Check your doors and windows as well as the opening around your plumbing and cable wires for potential problems.

There is a chance that crickets are purposely choosing to live in your basement or crawl space because they are comfortable there.  This is almost always the result of dampness and perhaps clutter.  Like many pests, crickets like to find undisturbed areas to hide.  If you can get any boxes off the floor of your garage or basement and store them up higher, you will eliminate the majority of the crickets’ housing.  Also, many pest control companies recommend de-humidifiers for basements or crawl spaces that remain damp throughout the year.  A damp crawl space can lead to many (sometimes expensive) problems, ranging from wood rot, to pest invasions, to mold.  A cozy, dry basement or crawl space will not be comfortable to camel crickets, and they will be less likely to enter your home to escape the cold.

At Russell’s Pest Control, we do free home inspections.  Our inspectors can tell you whether you have moisture problems in the crawl space or conditions in the basement that leave you in danger of facing bug problems or home maintenance issues.  They can also do a check for termite activity while they’re there.  Does that sound like the sort of helpful information you need?  Try calling 865.584.8549, or check in with us on our contact page.  We promise to answer your questions and serve you to the best of our abilities.

Black Widow, photo by UKY

Probably almost all of our readers have at least seen a picture of a black widow.  But, just as a review, you can identify a black widow by its bulbous, round body that is shiny, black, and hairless.   They have thin, jointed legs, which are also hairless.  Adult widows have that tell-tale hour glass on their stomachs, which is most famously known to be red but can also be orange, yellow, or even white.  We are also seeing more brown widows, which obviously have a different body color but usually still have a bright spot on their stomachs.  Black widows prefer to make their webs near to the ground where they will not be disturbed.  The webbing is extremely dense and messy; clearing it away with a broom may be difficult because the silk is so strong and sticky.

Black widows are one of the only two dangerous spiders in our area.  Although brown recluses are probably more famous for their dangerous bites, pest professionals like those at Russell’s Pest Control consider the black widow to be more of a threat.  They can be quite aggressive, particularly when guarding their eggs.  Unlike recluses, who produce a toxin that attacks skin cells, widows produce a neurotoxin.  A neurotoxin is a poison that affects the nervous system.  This means that the location of the bite itself may show only mild symptoms, but other side effects could be more problematic.  Additional symptoms of a black widow bite include nausea, fever, and severe muscle cramps, particularly in the abdomen.  Despite the possible severity of these symptoms, black widow bites are very rarely fatal in the U.S. and usually only require observation by a doctor for a day or two.

So, you don’t want to meet a black widow…what should you do?  Unfortunately, widows are very common in East Tennessee and are most likely to be found by homeowners in stored items or debris around the property.  The crevices in wood piles make great homes for widows, as do boxes that are rarely opened in the garage.  Keep your wood piles well away from the house, and always wear long sleeves and gloves if you’re going to haul wood to burn inside.  In addition, keeping your garage as tidy as possible will deter black widows from settling at your house.  If you’re going to clean out your garage and move old boxes, always wear gloves to protect yourself.

Generally, the position of a good pest control company is that spiders should be preserved because they serve such a crucial role in nature.  However, black widows around your house are dangerous, and Russell’s does not recommend that you view them as good neighbors.  If you find a black widow at your house, kill it (use a closed-toed shoe, not a paper towel or broom).  Widows reproduce very rapidly and can easily have around 350 eggs in one sac.  If you think you have a widow problem at your house and want to try to treat them yourself, read the label of your over-the-counter pesticide carefully.  Most store-bought products are not labeled to kill spiders and will not do so effectively.  There are plenty of people who can’t stand spiders and don’t want to deal with them.  We at Russell’s Pest Control understand that completely and would be glad to set you up on a quarterly pest control plan that takes care of ants, roaches, and mice in addition to alarming arachnids.  Think about it, and visit us hereif you’re interested.

The reason that house centipedes reminded me of bio foam cleaners is because you often find those many-legged monsters in your drains.  Sometimes, centipedes may come up through drains, and sometimes they may get stuck near drains because they climbed up the side of the tub or sink, fell in, and then couldn’t climb back out.  Either way, there are plenty of critters that are interested in eating the muck that builds up inside of drains, and house centipedes could be very eager to eat some of those critters.  Even if bugs weren’t very interested in drain scum (which they are), no one really wants it there.  It’s unappetizing and can house bacteria with a powerful punch.

Probiotic foams are a great tool to combat drain scum.  The product that Russell’s uses is a thick foam that has been laced with microbes—mostly bacteria—that hungrily eat other microbes and bacteria that they encounter.  In other words, it uses the strategies of bad bacteria against them.  The good microbes in our bio foam are happy to continue to reproduce as long as food (i.e. drain scum) is present.  Once all of the junk is gone from the drain, the good bacteria die of starvation, leaving you with a clean drain.  There are no chemicals in this foam; in fact, using chemical cleaners shortly after the foam will end its effectiveness because you could kill all of the little microbes that are working for you!

Probiotics have loads of good uses.  Because this product is a foam, it will fill up pipe entrances to thoroughly clean around drains.  Restaurant owners can quickly name dozens of places where they could benefit from this sort of product in their busy kitchens.  The foam also includes a citrus ingredient, which helps to eliminate odors even as the microbes eat the bacteria that cause the odors.  Foam in the bottom of a stinky trash bin can leave the kitchen smelling fresh again.  And, because there are no chemicals in the foam, it won’t bleach carpets.  You can use it to get up food stains and pet stains.

Now, we don’t just spray this stuff willy-nilly.  The foam has bacteria in it.  Even though these bacteria are better than the ones we’re getting rid of, we still won’t use it on food preparation surfaces, inside the refrigerator, etc.  We follow the label to the letter so that we’re using this cleaner in the most effective way possible.  In fact, we would be happy to set its cleaning power to work for you.  There are options for that.  We can add foam drain cleaning to a regular pest control service for a small fee, which means our technicians handle foaming when it’s needed during their regular quarterly or monthly visits.  This can be done for homes or for businesses.  In addition, our customers can purchase cans of probiotic foam from us to use—according to the label—when needed.  Again, this product is not a harsh chemical, which means homeowners can apply it by themselves after reading the usage instructions (which is a smart thing to do for all cleaners anyway).

If any of this sounds interesting to you, you can always contact us here or call us at 865.584.8549.  We’d love to partner with you keep your home safe and clean and to keep the crawling critters out!

You may remember from our last post about rodents that mice and rats begin to cause trouble in earnest during the fall.  Cold weather often drives them inside where they can find comfort in your warm house because, let’s face it, once they’re inside, they’re only as cold as you are. However, this year’s heat may have raised the stakes for rodents and increased the problems for homeowners.

Mice and rats don’t like to be too hot.  They dehydrate quickly, and rats are particularly dependent on reliable water sources for survival.  This summer, Russell’s received phone calls about rodent problems, which is fairly unusual.  The mice and rats were attempting to force their way inside because the heat was so extreme that they wanted to borrow your sink, walk-in shower, or leaking pipe to keep their families cool.  Now that the evenings are becoming brisk, they are not at all motivated to move out.

So, why is this relevant for residents of Sevierville in particular?  Well, Sevier County has just the environmental variety that mice and rats find attractive.  Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are highly commercialized and feature dozens of restaurants and hotels.  The presence of many humans in close quarters provides easy pickings for rodents.  They hardly have to scavenge for food when so much is available in trash bins.  Property owners in commercially-centered areas like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge must constantly be on their guard against full-scale invasions from unwanted guests.

On the other hand, Sevierville also has acres and acres of peacefully remote wooded areas that make the Smokey Mountains so enjoyable.  Unfortunately, woodlands are also a favorite of rodents.  Mice and rats live in woods and fields; we just usually don’t see them there.  However, if the field-dwellers are struggling to survive, a secluded, picturesque cabin is just the place for them.  Rural Sevierville residents can be quickly overwhelmed by a rodent problem in the fall.

To top it all off, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Kodak, and Townsend (though it’s in Blount County) are all host to many rental cabins.  People from all over the country have cabins in the Great Smokey Mountains, which may only be occupied for a couple of weeks a year.  Vacant structures without consistent pest control run a high risk of sustaining rodent damage.  We’ve heard stories of mice creating large nests in mattresses, storage bins, and insulation, which the property owners only discovered on the first day of their planned vacations!

The moral of the story is that all residents of East Tennessee, particularly those in Sevier County, should be aware of the potential threat.  Put down snap traps or glue boards in your vacant cabins.  If you’re comfortable with the idea, read the labels of mouse baits and put them in areas where people and non-target animals can’t encounter them.  Or, contact Russell’s Pest Controlat 865.584.8549.  We’ll monitor the situation four times a year, so you don’t have to worry about it.

Photo by Steve Mayer

Cicada killer wasps are often called ground hornets and are pretty conspicuous in any yard.  They have dark bodies with pale yellow stripes on their abdomens.  However, their most notable feature is their size; a cicada killer can easily hit 1 ½ inches long, making them one of the largest members of their family in this area.  You’re not likely to have much trouble identifying cicada killers if you have them in your yard, so what do you need to know about them?

The first step to dealing with these wasps is to take a breath and not panic.  Let’s face it: It’s alarming to have a bug this size whirring past your head, but they’re not as big of a nuisance as you might think.  Cicada killers are classified as solitary wasps.  That means that there is no hive or nest filled with family members that they’re returning to after buzzing around your lawn party.  In fact, ground hornets are more like carpenter bees (who also live alone) than standard wasps or honey bees.  Solitary wasps spend the winter underground in their larval form.  They spin cocoons in early spring and emerge as adults about a month later.  During the rest of the spring and summer, ground hornets are content to dig out a spacious new burrow for their young and supply it with ample food.  This is important because the adult cicada killers will all die out in the fall; they have to carefully supply their underground nests with dead cicadas so that the larva can survive the cold months and start the process over next year.

Why does this matter to homeowners?  Well, it tells you something about the behavior of solitary wasps.  Bumble bees, honey bees, yellow jackets, and wasps can be nuisances because they are so protective of their territory.  They have a hive and a queen to protect along with a few thousand eggs.  In fact, those insects all post sentries near their homes to alert them if intruders come too near so that they can try to scare them off.  Solitary wasps don’t have a colony to protect.  You have to seriously aggravate them (probably on purpose) to make them angry enough to sting.  And, as with all members of the bee and wasp families, only the females possess stingers in the first place.  Male cicada killers may be very curious about your outdoor activities, but they are in no way able to hurt you.

Homeowners who find cicada killers in their yards don’t need to worry.  Children should be taught not to attack these wasps, but the ground hornets’ tendency is to cause no hurt to your family or your home.  Now, there are other species of stinging pests that are also gearing up this time of year.  Yellow jackets and some wasps and hornets can be rather aggressive and should be treated with caution.  If you need help identifying what’s buzzing around your home, you can always contact Russell’s Pest Control at 865.584.8549.  If you want someone to come out and inspect your home, you can always reach us here.

The pictures above demonstrate the life cycle of a species of stink bug, a pest that has been gaining public notice over the last decade due to a rise in infestations.  The most troublesome species of stink bug is not native to America; it traveled to the Northeast in shipping crates from Asia about ten years ago.  Since then, that species has proved to be more likely to invade homes than other families of stink bugs, and it is expected to continue to spread.  This spells trouble for the South, including Knoxville and other parts of East Tennessee.

Last winter and spring, Russell’s Pest Control received many calls from homeowners who were frantically trying to manage “shield bugs” that were literally coming out of the wood work.  That’s because stink bugs (who do resemble a shield) are a lot like ladybugs in their seasonal habits.  Much like the Japanese lady beetles, stink bugs are likely to invade homes in the Knoxville area when the weather is first starting to get cool.  They sunbathe on the south and west walls of homes and businesses while it’s warm.  Then, they move inside at the first frost and overwinter in wall voids and attics until the spring weather causes them to wake up and re-emerge.  Sometimes, a sunny winter day will fool some of them into thinking it’s spring, and the stink bugs will start to stir.  That’s often when homeowners realize that they have a problem.  Soon, all of the bugs wake up and try to head back outside to feed.  Those that lack a good sense of direction, however, will get turned around and end up in the house instead.

The refreshing coolness of fall probably sounds far away after the hot summer that we’ve had.  However, now is the time to start thinking about keeping those stink bugs out of your house so that your defenses are ready by the time the heat breaks.  The best way to avoid a stink bug invasion is through exclusion.  Walk around your house and begin to look for openings that a bug could use.  You’re looking for cracks around windows and doors, gaps in the siding, and openings around pipes.  Inside, look for similar cracks around the doors and windows as well as openings around the exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens.  A good tube of suitable caulk is your best tool to ward off stink bugs.  You might also want to look into screens for your attic ridge vents if yours are damaged.

Closer to the first frost, you can wash the west and south sides of your house with a simple dish soap mixture.  The soap keeps the bugs from sunning on the house, but it is also washed away quickly by rain and dissipates in bright sunlight; you may have to re-apply the wash often until the weather gets cold.  You can also get a professional pest treatment with a backpack blower that more reliably deters the stink bugs from approaching openings into the house (coincidentally, I know a place where you can contact an exterminator who does those treatments).

Once the stink bugs are inside, it’s too late to use pest control treatments.  You’ll have to wait for them to leave in the spring because killing them in the walls will only invite a host of new pest problems.  Should you find them inside, a vacuum should be used to remove them, but expect a bit of a bad smell if you are sweeping up several at once (they aren’t called stink bugs for nothing, you know).

Start working on closing those openings now.  And, if you decide to get some professional help on the job, don’t wait until the last minute!  Leave yourself time so that you know you can get the treatment done before things cool down.

Indian meal moths are “stored product pests,” which means that they attack and inhabit plant-based foods.  You’ll know if you’ve got pantry moths because you’ll begin to see tiny whitish moths fluttering around the room, mostly in the evening and mostly in the kitchen.  They are distinctive from other moths because they will not be attracted to the light.  The key feature used in identifying meal moths is a small copper-colored section on the tips of their wings.  Other indications of a meal moth infestation are tiny white worm-like creatures (those are the larvae) moving along surfaces anywhere in the house and silk webbing that may resemble cobwebs inside the pantry.

So, what should you do if you suspect that you have meal moths?  I’ll be honest: these pests can be very tricky to eliminate, and professional help is often needed to complete the job.  Still, there are several things that you can try at home, and just being aware that meal moths exist can help you stop an infestation before it starts.  The most important factor in stopping a meal moth population explosion is to find the infested items.  Check all of your grains, including flour, rice, and cereal first.  Keeping those in air-tight containers helps to stop the moths from getting in.  Pay particular attention to items that may have been sitting for a while, such as bulk foods that you move through slowly.  You are looking for moths, larvae, or silk webbing that surrounds the larvae as they feed.  You’ll know it if you find it.

Unfortunately, these moths can attack almost anything plant-based, so you can’t stop at the obvious.  Meal moths have been known to infest chocolate, dried fruit, pet food, preserved flower arrangements, and many more unexpected items.  You may have to think outside the pantry when you’re hunting for them.  For instance, an abandoned squirrel’s nest in the attic or up the chimney could feed many generations of meal moths.  Consider all the possibilities before giving up hope of finding their nest.

The most popular over-the-counter pest sprays are not labeled for meal moths.  But, simple maintenance and sanitation can go a long way to solving the problem.  When you do find contaminated items, get rid of them immediately.  Use a vacuum attachment to eliminate all webbing that you find; then, if it reappears, you’ll know you haven’t eliminated all of the contamination.  In addition, use that attachment to vacuum crevices around the home, including along all of the baseboards and around the cabinets.  The larvae scatter before pupating in a nice, quiet crack that doesn’t get much activity.  This means you could have half-grown moths around the house even if you eliminate the nest.

At Russell’s Pest Control, we use other items to help fight off these moths.  Insect growth regulators (IGRs) disrupt the moths’ ability to move from one life cycle to another; these products have no effects on humans or pets, but they can stop insects from reaching a breeding age.  In addition, we often use traps laced with meal moth pheromones to draw the male moths in.  If there are no males to breed with the females, the population begins to die out quickly.

Need a free inspection to find out if you’ve got a pantry moth problem?  Want someone to answer questions or give good pest advice?  Well, you know where to reach us, or you can give us a call at 865.584.8549.