What Are Camel Crickets And Why Are They In My House?

What Are Camel Crickets And Why Are They In My House?

Camel crickets. What an interesting name. These interesting little creatures resemble a cross between a cricket, mosquito and a spider. They are also known as “sprickets”, or spider crickets and also cave crickets. They are usually brown in color and have two long back legs, like a cricket, but they also have six other legs that make it so they can be mistaken as a spider. Upon a closer look, their body and torso resemble a stinger-less or mouthless mosquito. With so many different insects on this earth, why are we concerned with these guys?

First of all, they can be very invasive. These small creatures will enter your home through small cracks and crevices and head for your basement. They like dark and damp environments. They feed on almost anything, but usually organic things like:

  • Plant decay
  • Grass
  • Fruit seedling plants
  • Fungi (found on your basement walls)
  • Other dead insects

While their diet is diverse, their choice of the perfect living environment is specific. You can find them not only in your basement or dark out buildings, but they are also found in other areas such as:

  • Shower or laundry areas
  • Compost heaps
  • Rotten logs, tree stumps or hollow trees
  • Under damp leaves, stones or boards.
  • Around sewers, gutters and landscaping drainage

These tiny bugs pose no real threat to humans or our pets but they are a nuisance to have around. They will come up from your basement and congregate in the corners of your rooms looking for a meal of spiders or other insects. They are also in search of a quiet, moist and dark place to lay their eggs. Here are a few general tips to help keep them out of your home:

  • Repair all cracks and crevices in your basement or crawl space walls
  • Be sure to seal around all utility entrances into your home
  • Keep shrubbery and trees trimmed back away from the walls of your home
  • Routinely ‘air’ out dark and damp places in your home

These crickets are very good at gaining entry into your home. Once you have a camel cricket problem in your home, it is quite difficult to get them out. If you have some living in your home and you can’t seem to rid yourself of them, then it’s certainly time to call the Knoxville pest control professionals.  Contact Russell’s Pest Control and get these invasive nuisances out!

Think Outside The Box When It Comes To Boxelder Bugs

Think Outside The Box When It Comes To Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder bugs are those little half inch dark colored bugs with large red striped wings. Even though they are harmless, they are definitely a nuisance. These guys are interesting little creatures. Here is some information on them and some tips on how to prevent them from over-wintering in your house this year.

Boxelder bugs are primarily found on boxelder trees. But they do like maple and ash trees too. These tree and plant eating bugs are sometimes confused with the ‘stink bug’ because they can emit an odor to defer predators. Thankfully, they are no threat to humans or animals. Since they do not like the cold, they will try to find a place to ‘over-winter’ near warmth. Unfortunately, this place can be in your home, attic, garage, and basement or under your siding. Sometimes they will emerge from their hiding spots when furnaces warm the house up because they are confused and are thinking that spring has sprung. They will wander about your home looking for food, water and a place to lay their eggs. In the spring, when it is truly time for them to leave their winter hibernation, they will lay their eggs on maple or ash trees.

Here are a few tips to help keep boxelder bugs from coming into your home for the winter:

  • Repair or replace window and door screens that have any damage or tears.

  • Check all weatherstripping that is around door and windows.

  • Fill any cracks and crevices in your basement walls.

  • Check thresholds and frames for gaps and fill appropriately.

  • Check all vents (soffit, gable, attic, dryer, HVAC) and repair or replace insect screening as needed.

  • Fill all cracks and holes in and around window and door frames.

  • Keep gutter and water removal systems running properly to divert water away from your home.

Although boxelders are just a nuisance pest, no one wants them moving in for the winter. Try these simple steps to help proof your house against them. If you want professional boxelder bug control, don’t hesitate to give us a call at Russell’s Pest Control.  We will help you to think outside the box to keep the boxelder bugs outside!

Bed Bugs Can’t Stand The Heat

Bed Bugs Can't Stand The Heat

Have you heard the expression, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen?” At Russell’s Pest Control, we have a slightly different saying. “If you can’t stand the heat, that’s too bad, bed bugs!” We have a hard time feeling bad for a bug that thinks it’s okay to live inside a mattress that does not belong to it and suck blood from people without their permission. That’s why you won’t find any bed bug relocation programs at Russell’s Pest Control. When we find bed bugs, we kill them.

At a sustained temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, all stages of bed bugs die. This includes eggs and nymphs, but you probably already know that. Here are some of the questions we often get that you might not know the answer to.

“Does heat kill bed bugs that are inside my mattress and in the walls?” Yes. A heat treatment will radiate deep into every part of your home and kill these bugs, even bugs that are hiding in mattresses, furniture and behind baseboards.

“Will my home and property be safe?” When done by a professional, a heat treatment is completely safe. At Russell’s, our technicians know how to get your home prepared so that sensitive items are removed and nothing is present that will pose a fire hazard. We use sensors to measure the level of heat at all times and make sure that it stays within that safety threshold.

“Will the bugs return?” When our specialists help you rid your home of bed bugs, they will also look to see what conditions may have brought the bugs into your home in the first place. Bed bugs don’t come in through your walls; they are carried in on clothing and inside luggage. Getting a professional analysis will help you better protect your home from a future infestation.

“Can I do a heat treatment myself?” If not done with state-of-the-art temperature-controlled heating equipment, the risk of fire is high. The stories of homes being burned down are numerous. There is also a risk that bugs will return after a home-treatment. Bed bugs are resilient and able to hide from the heat; that is why it is so important to have a trained professional who knows where to place heating elements for thorough coverage. If even a single female bug escapes, you could be looking at another infestation in a few months.

When it comes to protecting your home from bed bugs, you can trust Russell’s Pest Control. We are members of the National Pest Management Association, and Bed Bug FREE Approved by Bed Bug Central, the nation’s most authoritative source on bed bugs. Let our team of experts make 100% sure your home is bed bug free by turning up the heat on those bugs, contact us today for more details.