Help For Fleas

Help For Fleas

Summer temperatures are now upon us and, oh the joyous fun of all those summer activities. So many things are associated with warming temperatures, ranging from beautiful flowers to the newly hatched baby birds and wildlife. However, not all things are met with such happiness.

Warm summer weather also brings an increase of fleas. Your dog is beautifully groomed, bathed and has his summer haircut. He looks so nice for all the guests you are expecting this weekend. The house seems to be immaculate, the kitchen is spic and span and the aroma of fresh baked bread is floating throughout the house. Finally, you sit down to catch your breath before the guests begin arriving. Suddenly, you notice a speck out of  the corner of your eye. You reach to brush it off your pants when it quickly disappears. You look more closely and see two or three more of those “jumping specks.” About this time, you notice your freshly groomed dog scratching with a vengeance and one word leaps into your mind…fleas!!!

Most fleas enter into the house on your pet. Some come in on mice and other unwanted rodents. They also have been known to hitch a ride on your trouser leg as you walk through the grass into the house. Flea eggs do not stay on their host. Unfortunately, they fall off and stick in the carpet or even furniture until they hatch into larvae then pupae stage. Unfortunately, the most recent batch has chosen the day of your summer bbq to become jumping and biting adult fleas.

Identifying a flea population is one thing. Coming up with a quick, successful solution is another. You can be assured this is not the time for any those over the counter products and DIY flea bombs or sprays.

Fleas are very swift reproducers and are extremely difficult to remove from the home. Normally, the adult flea is the only thing that can be seen. However, all eggs, larvae and pupae have to also be found and treated to completely eradicate the flea problem. Any pets in the house must be treated at the same time of the home treatment. Contacting professional Knoxville pest control specialists, like the experts here at Russell’s Pest Control is the best and only real complete answer to ridding your home of your flea problem.

Russell’s Pest Control has three home pest control programs that include treatment and control of fleas in the house and other residential pests. You will enjoy the benefit of quarterly pest services, Russell’s Pest Free guarantee and year round protection from more than 30 common pests. The key to keeping your home free of fleas and other household pests centers on the year round protection and guarantee. Contact Russell’s Pest Control today to select the service that best suits your needs and enjoy your pest-free summer!

Mom’s Advice On Summer Pests

Mom's Advice On Summer Pests

When you were a kid, growing up in Knoxville, did you ever catch a bee under a glass? Did you ever corral a millipede and prod at it with a pencil? Did you ever use a magnifying glass on a mound of ants–ahem–I mean study them. You know…up close. When we were kids, bugs were the coolest things. Right? But somewhere along the way we lost our innocence and came to realize that bugs–no matter how interesting–are not meant to be in the house.

Here are the top 5 reasons your mother was right when she said, “Bugs don’t belong in the house!”

Bugs love rot. Have you ever found a decaying animal on the side of the road or in the woods? What is the first thing you notice about it? That’s right: It is covered in bugs. Bugs are the sanitary engineers of the animal kingdom. When something dies, bugs will feast on it until it is gone. Some bugs–the nastier ones–will even lay their eggs in rotting carcasses so their babies have something to easily feed on when they hatch. This may be all well and good in nature, but when a creature that enjoys rot and decay starts crawling around your house, you’re going to be exposed to harmful bacteria that will produce flu-like symptoms. Mom was right. Those bugs don’t belong in the house.

Some bugs chew on wood. If you have wood-destroying pests like termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees or some other wood-destroying insect, your house isn’t going to last long. These pests weaken support beams, load-bearing walls, and door frames. They cause windows to stick, walls to bulge and floors to sink. Your mom nailed it on the head with this one. Those bugs don’t belong in the house!

Some bugs like to bite. Whether you have blood-eating insects like mites, fleas, ticks, bed bugs, and mosquitoes or defensive biters like brown recluse spiders, bees, hornets, wasps, ants and yellow jackets, everyone can agree, these bugs don’t belong in the house!

Yuck factor. Lots of pests are just nasty. Who likes millipedes climbing on the walls, ceiling and window sills by the hundreds? Who enjoys rolling over onto a hard cricket that has found its way in between the sheets? These bugs aren’t going to hurt you, but that doesn’t mean you want them around. Get those bugs out!

Pests. They bump your face, crawl across the television screen, bombard you as you head to the kitchen to get a snack, and land on your food while you’re eating it. There is a whole class of bugs that are just plain annoying. Those bugs don’t belong in the house!

If you have bugs in your Knoxville home, call Russell’s Pest Control and have them eradicated. Your home is where you relax after a long day at work, and build memories with your children. It isn’t a place for bugs. Do what your mom says and get those bugs out of the house! You’ll be glad you did.

Benefits Of Quarterly Pest Control

Benefits Of Quarterly Pest Control

This article is not meant to sell you on a pest service or treatment plan. It simply outlines why many homeowners decide to get quarterly pest control. The goal it to help you make an informed decision and decide what is best for your family and your home.

Pests encroach. If you’ve owned your home for any length of time you know that pests are ever encroaching upon your property and almost continually assaulting your exterior walls. Homeowners that get a yearly visit from a pest control technician realize quickly that it isn’t enough. Some pests can grow their populations significantly in a year.

Illness is unseen. When pests like cockroaches, rodents, flies, ants, ticks, fleas and mosquitoes come carrying disease and harmful bacteria families often miss the connection. When flu-like symptoms strike they assume it IS the flu. But when homeowners are shown that quarterly visits from a pest technician can reduce sickness in their homes, they make the commitment.

Pest damage is hard to repair. Finding wood damage caused by termites, carpenter ants, and other wood-destroying organisms is horrifying. They burrow deep into support beams and weaken the structure of a home. This can bend the studs in load-bearing walls and cause irreparable warping. These pests should never be allowed into a home. Quarterly visits and the monitoring of bait stations stop wood damage before it can happen.

Extermination is more costly than protection. For many homeowners, the choice to wait on investing in a year-round pest treatment isn’t because they love bugs. It is a financial decision. But when they have to spend money on hiring an exterminator, they quickly realize that quarterly visits would have cost them less.

That’s it. No sales pitch. No link for you to buy now. Just the facts. If you’ve been holding off on getting quarterly visits from a pest control company, we understand. Life is filled with hundreds of little costs, and the number of people holding their hand out to receive your hard-earned money can seem endless. But when it comes to pest control, it isn’t just a matter of improving your comfort and your standard of living, it is a decision that can actually save you more money in the long run. Hopefully, these insights will help you prevent some of the pitfalls mentioned above. But in the end, what matters most is that you have the information to make an informed decision.

Mosquito Troubles In Knoxville, TN

Mosquito Troubles In Knoxville

You’re probably not going to see this on a brochure: “Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, against the banks of the Tennessee River, Knoxville serves as the perfect blend of southern hospitality and mosquitoes.” But it is true. Mosquitoes love Knoxville. Not for its festivals, nightlife or art culture. They love people. More accurately, they love the blood that is inside people. If you have blood, they’re going to love you. But not all people are as attractive to mosquitoes. See if you can determine which category you fall into.

Mosquitoes prefer:

  • People that expel more carbon dioxide. Mosquitoes use carbon dioxide emissions to zero in on their food source. If you just finished jogging or you are carrying a baby in your belly, your extra exertion will attract mosquitoes.

  • People with higher levels of acids on their skin, like uric acid. If you love soda, mosquitoes will love you for it.

  • People who wear darker colors. Mosquitoes fly low and use silhouettes to find their targets. If you wear lighter colored clothing, you can ward off bites.

Mosquitoes do not prefer:

  • Anyone wearing a repellent with DEET in it. Repeated studies show that DEET is effective at keeping mosquitoes away. A formula with between 10% to 30% DEET can protect a wearer for about five hours, according to a study led by Mark Fradin, Ph.D., a researcher with Chapel Hill Dermatology. Though DEET has a consistent safety record, you can always spray it on a long sleeved shirt if you prefer to not have it on your skin.

  • People wearing clothing infused with the chemical insecticide permethrin. This method has been used by the United States military for years. One soldier said, “I wore them in the jungles of South Africa; I would recommend them to anyone going out into the woods.”

Do you want to prevent mosquitoes from landing on you, but prefer to not get involved with chemicals? Greg Baumann, senior scientist with the National Pest Management Association says you can make your Knoxville yard resistant to mosquitoes with Integrated Pest Management. It involves eliminating breeding sites that invite mosquitoes to reproduce on your property. Unclog leaves from gutters, remove items from your yard where water can collect, and fill in areas of standing water. You may also want to consider enlisting the help of a professional. They can eradicate adult mosquitoes on your property and destroy eggs before they hatch. In the battle against mosquitoes, the best defense is a good offense.

For professional mosquito control in Knoxville, Russell’s Pest Control is here to help! Contact us today!