Why Do I Have Fleas In My Home & What Can I Do?

Why Do I Have Fleas In My Home & What Can I Do?

“I have fleas in my home! Why do I have them, and what can I do?”

This is a statement we hear all the time here at Russell’s Pest Control. Fleas have got to be one of the most tenacious and irritating pests around. I mean, you don’t even have to own a pet to get fleas. How infuriating is that? And fleas can put rabbits to shame with the rate with which they are able to reproduce! Fleas seem to come out of nowhere in a hurry, and one seemingly lone flea on your sofa can turn into hundreds in no time at all. So how exactly did you get those fleas in your home and what should you do about it? Let’s take a look.

Pets are certainly the number one way that fleas come into homes, but they are not the only way. Fleas are looking for mammal blood. They don’t really care if it comes from your dog, your cat, your kids, or you. They will take whatever comes easiest. They are also lazy travelers. They will hop on anything that will bring them closer to their mealtime goal. They typically hitch a ride to your property on a passing raccoon, mouse, fox, squirrel, or any other furry wildlife friend. After all, what a deal! Free meal while you travel – it’s an all inclusive travel plan for fleas! Once in your yard, they’ll lurk around just waiting for the chance to pounce onto their next taxi (aka: your pet, your child, or you) and gain access to your home where they have shelter and ample access to blood.

You may be tempted to think that those fleas are nothing more than a nuisance. Not so! Fleas are known carriers and transmitters of disease to humans and pets. Dog tapeworm and rodent tapeworm are not only a danger to your pets, but to you as well. Both these parasites are introduced by fleas. Also, I am certain that you have heard of murine typhus and the plague! Yup, these are transferred by fleas too. Yes, the plague is still around and is still infecting people (even in the U.S.). Even if your fleas are not infected or hosting these, there is no denying that their bites are extremely itchy. Scratching of flea bites can lead to infection such as impetigo or staph. Any way you look at it, those fleas have got to go. But how?

Once fleas have gained access to your home, they are extremely difficult to eradicate because not only do the adults have to be eliminated, but you have to get to all those eggs as well. The good news for us here in Tennessee is that you can partner with Russell’s Pest Control to control fleas in our homes.

With a desire to serve his community by providing quality service at a fair price, Russell Bull began this company in 1971, and we have been living up to that goal ever since. When you partner with us for year-round pest coverage, fleas will not be a problem. Neither will a whole host of other common household pests. That’s because we utilize state-of-the-art technology and treatment options to safely and effectively control pests in your home.

If fleas are driving you crazy this summer, give us a call. Not only will we help you to eliminate those fleas, but we can also help you to identify access points and install exclusion methods to keep pests out. For good!

In Memory ~ Cynthia Eldridge

In Memory ~ Cynthia Eldridge

She could make us laugh and she could make us mad, recently she made us cry. When Cynthia Eldridge first came to Russell’s Pest Control no one realized the impact she would have as an employee, co-worker and friend. From day one she seemed to know what she was doing, or at least acted like she did. Her confidence was visible to all. She loved her job and said this was one of the only jobs that she was eager to come to each morning.

Cynthia also loved her family and her friends unconditionally. She had so many talents, if you were lucky you heard her beautiful voice sing. Her sense of humor had no boundaries and there was no one that she didn’t accept for who they were. Whether you knew her well or barely spoke to her she made some kind of impression on you.

Her strength and her faith is such an inspiration even now. We will all remember Cynthia in each of our own ways and she will be missed by so many. Her husband, James said “don’t remember Cynthia as being sick, remember her as laughing and smiling like she would want us to.” That laughter, those beautiful blue eyes and all of the different hairstyles will stay in our memories forever.

*Written by Tracy Fuqua

In honor of Cynthia, Russell’s will be establishing the Cynthia Eldridge Award of Excellence. This award will be given every year on June 21 to an employee that has excelled throughout the year at their job duties. The award will be given to an employee that Cynthia would have called a Rock Star!

 

Mosquitoes: Pure Annoyance Or Real Threat?

Pest control services in knoxville TN

Although you can’t see anything, your eyes are wide open. The covers of your bed are clenched in both fists as you listen intently. You can hear it. The sound is faint and distant, but it demands your complete attention. There is a mosquito in your room.  And, there is no way you’re getting to sleep until that mosquito is dead. Does this sound like you?

How about this? You’re relaxing in a hammock or lawn chair. There was a light breeze, but it has died down. Suddenly, there’s a high pitched whine. But as soon as you start to hear it the noise is already fading, like a tiny race car passing on a miniature track. Now, instead of enjoying your relaxing time out in nature, all you can think about is the dumb mosquito.

Okay. One more. You’re hanging out around a campfire with friends and you notice that your body is doing a weird dance. Every so often your spine wiggles, your feet kick out one at a time, your shoulder flinches, or your hand does a swoop past your face. This isn’t a new dance craze. You are trying to keep those mosquitoes from taking a bite out of you.

Dealing with mosquitoes is all part of living on a planet where there are billions of them. But these pests are becoming much less of an annoyance and much more of a real threat, especially here in the United States where we’ve had some success in keeping deadly mosquito viruses at bay.

Why are mosquitoes becoming more of a threat?

These blood-eating pests have always been a threat for underdeveloped countries, especially in areas of great poverty and disease. This is because mosquitoes transfer disease from one human to the next–making a bad situation worse. But, with the increase in world travel, it only takes a few hours for an infected person to leave one of these countries and enter ours. Once here, those viruses can be picked up by local mosquito populations.

While we have one of the best medical infrastructures in the world, and it is far less common for someone in the United States to die from a mosquito-related virus, it still happens, and, it is still extremely uncomfortable to get sick with these viruses even if they don’t kill you.

Mosquito Protection

The days of mosquitoes being a simple annoyance are long gone. Protect your home and your community by taking part in mosquito control. This is the first line of defense used by our government, but it is incomplete without the help of businesses and homeowners. Be part of the solution that is keeping our country safe. Consider getting mosquito services today from the experts here at Russell’s Pest Control. We’ve been protecting our family, friends, and neighbors for almost 50 years. With Russell’s Pest Control you can rest assured knowing that you’re getting the best in pest control service at a fair price. Protect your family and your community from mosquitoes with our mosquito control service.

Cicada Killer Wasps Sound Scary… Are They?

Cicada Killer Wasps Sound Scary... Are They?

It can be disturbing to find a 2-inch wasp in your backyard. It is even more disturbing to find out that wasp has a scary name like cicada killer wasp; but these wasps aren’t nearly as dangerous as you might be led to believe–well, unless you happen to be a cicada. Then, they are dangerous. Very dangerous!

Cicada killer wasps get their name from the fact that they kill cicada bugs. Not only do they kill them, but they also go through great effort to drag the dead cicada bugs back to their homes to feed their young. The entire process is quite fascinating. Female cicada killer wasps dig long tunnels with multiple chambers for holding cicada bugs. When cicadas are brought back to the tunnels they are deposited into the chambers and embedded with the eggs. This is to give the baby wasps something to feed on after they hatch.

Sandboxes, sand traps on golf courses, and other sandy areas are prime nesting places for these insects. They can also be found in gardens, flower beds, lawns, and large grassy areas. When they invade residential yards, they become pests by creating unsightly mounds everywhere and scaring families with their startling size; but, as stinging insects go, the cicada killer wasp isn’t so bad.

Like carpenter bees, the males of this wasp species do not have the ability to sting. They can be quite aggressive if you get near their nesting area, but it is all posturing. They have no way to back up their threats.

The female can sting, but its sting is no worse than that of a paper wasp. These insects are usually considered nuisance pests because of the ability to cause fear, or lawn pests because of their ability to damage the root system of a lawn.

Cicada killer wasps don’t generally pay much attention to humans. The food source for adults is tree sap and the nectar of flowers. Their focus is only on collecting cicada to feed their young; there isn’t much time left in their day to sting you. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you want to have them around.

If lawn damage and giant wasps buzzing around your home making cicadas sheik in agony as they die is something you can live without, we’d be happy to help you with that. At Russell’s Pest Control we know how to take care of cicada killer wasps and a whole host of other unwelcome pests.

Pests will invade, but you don’t have to live with them. Get protected and stay protect with Russell’s Pest Control.