Spiders Predicting A Long Harsh Winter?

Spiders Predicting A Long Harsh Winter?

In the midst of all your fall activities and busy preparations for the winter months, it dawns on you that there are numerous spiders everywhere…in the garage, the basement, and yes, inside the house!  Why are there so many spiders this year?
 
According to an article from the Farmer’s Almanac:

One of the listed signs of a hard winter is, “spiders spinning larger than usual webs and entering the house in great numbers.”  While it is too soon to know if the Farmer’s Almanac prediction will prove to be true regarding a harsh winter, we do know that there seems to be an abundance of spiders this year.
 
Very few people have an appreciation of spiders.  Those menacing looking creatures just don’t make you feel warm and fuzzy!  In fact, very few things cause a reaction of fear and anxiety like the sight of a spider.  Many people will assume that if it is a spider, it is poisonous.  Tennessee has a large number of species of spiders, but there are actually only two that are poisonous—the black widow and the brown recluse.  The Tennessee Poison Center states that both of these species are found in every Tennessee County.
 
Most spiders are rather shy and not in the “attack mode.”  They actually prefer closed, dark places.  However, this characteristic also makes it difficult for the novice to treat the home and eradicate or remove spiders.  Your best approach to correcting a spider problem is to contact Russell’s Pest Control and ask for information regarding their Power Package Programs.  They have three packages, all of which include the removal and treatment of spiders and 30 plus common household pests.
 
Remember, all household pests have one thing in common—they are searching for food and shelter.  Spiders are looking for shelter and warmth but there are a few suggestions that will reduce your chances of being bitten:

  • Keep your bedspreads and skirting off the floor.  This will hopefully keep spiders out of your bed.
  • Shake out clothing and shoes before wearing.
  • Store those seldom-used items in plastic bags or storage boxes.
  • Seal all cracks around windows and doors and any other areas in which spiders may enter.

Let the professionals secure your home and eradicate those dreadful spiders.  When you choose your Power Package from Russell’s Pest Services, you will get a quarterly pest service, Russell’s pest-free guarantee, and year round protection from more than 30 common household pests.

Adult Fleas Are Only The Tip Of The Iceberg

Adult Fleas Are Only The Tip Of The Iceberg

Are fleas driving you and your pets crazy? Have you already washed all the bedding in the house and vacuumed all the rugs twice, but those fleas won’t go away? It can be a real pain to get rid of these blood-eating pests, especially if you don’t understand what you’re up against. The scary truth about fleas is that only 5 percent of the fleas in your home are adult fleas. Those are the ones you notice. Those are the ones that wiggle through your pet’s fur when you part it down the middle or spring onto you when you sit on the couch. But there is a vast population of fleas you don’t see.

Pupae Stage

The next highest population of fleas you’ll find in your home are fleas that have grown to the pupae stage. This is when they have matured enough to make their own cocoon. In this stage they will be hiding in your pet’s bedding, behind baseboards, under furniture, in your rugs, and in other out-of-the-way places. Cocooned pupae make up 10 percent of all the fleas typically found in an infested home.

Larvae Stage

These are the baby fleas, and they make up an alarming 35 percent of the flea population in your home. Why is this alarming? Because all those babies are going to eventually cocoon and turn into adult fleas that bite. In the Larvae stage, they don’t eat a blood meal. They eat pre-digested blood from adult fleas (called flea “dirt”). But someday, they will be crawling on your pet’s fur and crawling in your bed.

Eggs

Here is where it gets scary. Eggs make up 50 percent of the flea population in a home. These are laid in bunches of about 20 (usually in the fur of your pet) after a flea has had a blood meal. But, unlike many other insect eggs, flea eggs are not sticky. This allows them to roll off of your pet and “seed” the house.

What can we learn from all this?

If you’re trying to kill “adult” fleas, you will lose this battle. Adult fleas are only the tip of the iceberg. You need to kill the eggs, larvae, and pupae as well. This requires an application of special products to strategic areas inside your home.

If you’ve been battling fleas and you’re ready for the nightmare to be over, give Russell’s Pest Control a call. Our technicians know how to treat for fleas in a way that is safe for you, your children, and your pets. We don’t just kill adult fleas, we kill all stages of fleas in your home. If you were following the math, that is 100% of all the flea population in your home.

Is That A Cricket In My Basement?

Is That A Cricket In My Basement?

In the dark corners of a basement it is sometimes hard to figure out exactly what you’re looking at, and camel crickets don’t make it easy. Their long, thin legs make them look like a spider which is not all that big of a deal, until they come flying out of the darkness at you. If you’re wondering if you have camel crickets in your basement, and would rather not be scared half to death when they leap out at you from the darkness, we can help you with that. But before we tell you how to fix the problem, here are a few more ways those lovable little crickets can drive you crazy.

  • Camel crickets are sort of the “goat” of the insect kingdom. They will eat pretty much anything. They will leave holes in plants and curtains alike. If you have camel crickets in your home, you can be assured that, to them, nothing is sacred.

  • Camel crickets can damage stored items, like clothing, blankets, sheets, and other fabrics that are packed in the garage, attic spaces, or closets. Packed items are at most risk if they are in a place that is humid.

  • If you have a lot of camel crickets, you’re going to get the feces that come with any insect pest. These droppings will be left in hard-to-reach places inside wall voids and insulation.

  • Camel crickets chirp. This may sound nice, but it gets old fast at 3 a.m. when you have to get up for work in the morning.

  • Camel crickets are icky. There is really no other way to put it. If you are watching television and a camel cricket leaps into your hair or crawls up under your shirt, it is never pleasant. These creatures aren’t dangerous, but their alien appearance and hard exoskeleton can be really unsettling.

  • There is a side threat to having crickets in your home: Crickets are food for a lot of other creatures, especially rodents. If you have these tasty morsels crawling around in your wall voids, attic spaces, and basement areas mice and rats will love you for it.

At Russell’s Pest Control we protect homes from camel crickets, and a whole host of other invasive pests that like to get in through the cracks. Our power plans start at just $29 per month, and provide year-round protection from over 30 common household pests, including crickets. Camel crickets are a pest you can live without. Get your walls sealed and keep these and other pests out with professional, year-round pest control–and you may just keep pests that are even scarier out.

Avoid Bed Bugs This Thanksgiving

Avoid Bed Bugs This Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday will soon be upon us and we will be engulfed in turkey and dressing, pies and more pies! Some of you will travel great distances to be with family and close friends. Others of you will receive guests into your home and enjoy spending your Thanksgiving holiday together. Traveling is just a part of the holiday.

There is one nuisance pest that seems to really enjoy traveling and not just during the holidays, and that is the hitchhiking bed bug. Traveling and staying in motels increases the risk of exposure to bed bugs. Unfortunately, receiving guests into your home can also expose your residence to bed bug infestation.

The good news is that bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases and they cause no damage to your physical property. The most an individual will usually experience is a few itchy red welts from a bed bug bite. Even then, the bite itself is normally never felt.

The adult bed bug is only about 1/4th inch long and is oval shaped and has a rather flat body. Being nocturnal, they are rarely seen in daylight and very adept at hiding. However, one can usually see signs of infestation once they know where to look. The first thing you should do upon soliciting a motel room is to give the room a thorough inspection prior to bringing in your luggage. Lift up the bed sheets and look along the ribbing and edges of the mattress for any sign of bed bugs or bed bug feces. Look behind the headboard and inside the nightstand and dresser drawers. Any sign or hint of bed bugs is grounds enough for moving to a different room and possibly even a different motel.

Never store your luggage on the floor—use the luggage stand to keep it off the carpet. This is another common place in which bed bugs can hide. Keep your clothing in the suitcase rather than placing it in the dressers. These precautions will reduce the chance of a stray bed bug hitchhiking back to your home with you. Inspect your suitcase and clothing immediately upon arriving home. Launder your clothing as soon as possible to remove any chances of a stray bed bug traveling back with you.

Bed bugs are extremely difficult to eradicate once an infestation has occurred. DIY techniques are rarely effective due to the nature of the bed bug and the multiple places in which they are able to hide. Russell’s Pest Control has provided quality services throughout the area for more than 40 years. Sleep with peace of mind and contact Russell’s highly trained professionals to come inspect your home for bed bugs. We will be happy to explain our highly successful bed bug heat remediation program to you.