How To Prepare For… The Invasion Of The Ladybugs!

How To Prepare For… The Invasion Of The Ladybugs!

When you hear the words, “The invasion of…” what do you expect to follow? Maybe you think of “The invasion of aliens,” or “The invasion of Normandy,” or perhaps that old movie from the 50’s called, “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” These all sound pretty intense. But do you ever think about ladybugs invading? The invasion of the ladybugs! It just doesn’t have the same scare factor that those other things. But do you want these bugs inside your home, especially considering that when they do come in, they bring a whole lot of their friends?

The bad news is that in not too many weeks, the temperatures will begin to drop, and insects will begin to seek the warmth of our homes. The good news is that it is not too late to start preparing for “The invasion of the ladybugs.” Consider taking the following steps to keep ladybugs, and other invading insects, out of your home.

  • If you already have ladybugs crawling around inside your home, get a vacuum or dustbuster, and suck them up. Then go to work on making your property less attractive to them and sealing any places where more could get inside.
  • Keep your trash in tightly sealed containers. Ladybugs love exposed trash. In fact, all bugs love exposed trash. So do rodents and wildlife.
  • Never leave food outside, not even your pet’s food. This will definitely draw bugs onto in.
  • Keep clutter to a minimum. Remove as much as possible and, if you need to keep some items, consider storing them away from your home. Bugs love places to hide and tend to congregate in clutter.
  • Store woodpiles or construction materials away from your home as well.
  • Keep outside lights off at night or replace outside bulbs with yellow, insect-resistant bulbs. Ladybugs and other flying insects are drawn in by light.
  • Draw your shades at night. This will also reduce the chances of luring insects close to your home.
  • Examine the outside walls of your home, and use a caulking gun to seal any cracks there. Make sure to seal around the places where pipes, wires, or air conditioning units enter your home.
  • Inspect all of your window and door screens and make sure they are present and in good repair.
  • Install, or check, all door sweeps and make sure they are making a good connection all the way across.
  • Place window grade screens over all chimneys and vents to the outside.
  • Have your exterior walls, or perimeter, treated by a pest control professional from Russell’s Pest Control.

If you have done all you can, but you are still getting ladybugs in your home, or you don’t want to do all the hard work of keeping them out, consider pest services from Russel’s Pest Control. With more than 40 years of experience getting rid of, and sealing out household pests, we are happy to help. Don’t let yourself be the victim of a ladybug invasion this fall! Reach out to Russel’s Pest Control today.

Avoiding End Of Summer Stings

Avoiding End Of Summer Stings

The final weeks of summer are here, and that means it is time to enjoy as much of the warm sunny outdoor weather as possible. There a few weekends left to dine on hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, and deviled eggs, and to go with family and friends to local fairs and festivals. It is important to remember that if precautions are not taken, stinging insects like wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets may also join in uninvited and ruin your outdoor fun.

Not only are we trying to squeeze in the most of the last days of summer, but so are stinging insects. In the late summer and early fall stinging insects are more active and ornery because they are stressed out about making sure they find and gather enough food to keep their queens well-nourished during the cooler weather months of the fall and winter seasons. This is the time of year to be aware of stinging insects and to try and avoid as much contact with them as possible.

Stinging insects like yellow jackets and others are particularly pesky pests at outdoor events and cookouts because most of them like to feed on the proteins and sweets that we also like to feed on. They are attracted to open containers of sweet drinks and plates of grilled food. Some things you can do to help protect yourself and your guests at cookouts and other outdoor events include:

  • Make sure to provide trash cans with tight fitting lids for people to throw their empty plates and cups in.
  • If possible provide cups that have lids on them.
  • Go around and clean up any food and plates that have been left behind during the party.
  • Place food inside, have people fill up their plates inside, and then come outside to sit, eat, and mingle.

In addition to protecting your guests and your family at outdoor events, there are many things that you can do around your property to help deter stinging insects from becoming an issue whether it is cookout season or not.

  • Remove old tree stumps, fallen trees, or piles of debris that stinging insects could use to nest in.
  • Limit the amount of flowers and other colorful landscaping that you have planted on your property.
  • Place outdoor trash cans away from the exterior of your home.
  • Make sure that gutters are not clogged and that they are draining water away from your home.
  • Make sure that screens are intact, caulk spaces found around windows and doors, and place caps on chimneys to help prevent stinging insect from getting inside and nesting within your home.

If stinging insects have created a nest in close proximity to or actually on your home or have become particularly aggressive, the best way to deal with them is to call a professional. Their stings can be very painful and their venom can cause severe allergic reactions in some people; because of these dangers, it is best to leave controlling stinging insects up to professionals who are experienced in dealing with them.

At Russell’s Pest Control, our stinging insect professionals have the experience, equipment, and knowledge needed to safely remove dangerous stinging insects nest from your property. Our Power Platinum program provides year-round protection for your home and family against a wide variety of pests including stinging insects. Contact us today, for more information about our stinging insect control services and enjoy the rest of your summer, free of stings!

Get Educated About Bed Bugs And School

Get Educated About Bed Bugs And School

We are seeing the signs everywhere. Much to the children’s dismay, it’s just about time to head back to school. The teachers and staff are looking at the calendar in disbelief that the summer has flown by too fast, and the kids are begging for a few more days to sleep in. Whether you have a kindergartener getting on that big yellow school bus for the first time or a college age young adult packing up their room to head to the dorms, you have a school supply list and a to-do list that is quite extensive. From pencils to crayons and dorm furniture to cell phone plans there’s a lot to keep track of. Check your list and make sure that bed bugs are on there too. No, you don’t want bed bugs, but you do need to address the issue of bed bugs for all school aged environments.

For your children that are in primary school, grammar school, middle school, junior high school, or high school bed bugs can be a factor. Bed bugs can be anywhere that people frequent; they don’t necessarily need beds to live. They have been discovered in such places as:

  • Libraries
  • Hospitals
  • Nursing Homes
  • Public transportation
  • Schools
  • Restaurants
  • Dormitories
  • Lounge/waiting areas

Bed bugs are hitchhiking pests. If someone has bed bugs at their home there is a potential that these bugs could come to school within that person’s belongings; like their backpack, book bag, or briefcase. As a parent, you can teach your children to be aware of the signs of bed bugs and you can also check with your school district for their bed bug policy. Here’s a notice from the University of Tennessee extension for school staff to help them to recognize bed bugs and to know the proper steps to take in the event of a discovery of bed bugs in their school or classroom.

For college students heading back to dorms or off campus housing, bed bugs are a definite concern. Students and parents should take the following steps to avoid bed bugs:

Be informed about the college or landlord’s bed bug policy before you agree to reside there. Be sure to inspect all of the living space for signs of bed bugs upon arrival, before you bring your belongings inside.

  • Keep your living space clean and tidy to limit the dark places that bed bugs can hide away in.
  • Keep other people’s belongings out of your living space because their stuff could have bed bugs in it.
  • Limit overnight guests because they can also bring bed bugs into your living space.
  • Regularly check your beds, bedding, and furniture for signs of bed bugs.
  • Alert college administration or your landlord ASAP if a suspected bed bug situation is discovered.

Be sure that bed bugs are on your radar this back to school season by educating yourself and your family about them. Avoid bed bugs at your home by avoiding them at school, and if the unthinkable happens and you think bed bugs may have somehow gotten into your home, give the experts here at Russell’s Pest Control a call. We have been keeping Eastern Tennessee protected from pests for almost 50 years and we would be happy to do the same for you.

Why Do I Have Camel Crickets In My Basement?

Why Do I Have Camel Crickets In My Basement?

If your basement is dark and moist, that is all the incentive camel crickets need. They may have come into your home last fall when the temperatures outside dropped. Not wanting to die is a pretty big incentive for camel crickets. If you’ve come here looking for more of a, “how did camel crickets get into my basement?” sort of question, or a, “how do I get camel crickets out of my basement?” question, this article is for you.

If your “why” is more of a “how” the answer is simple. You have camel crickets in your basement because camel crickets have no real body structure underneath their hard exoskeleton. That means they can squeeze through some pretty tight gaps or cracks. If you want to keep these silent, spider-looking critters from leaping off your basement wall at you while you’re doing laundry, the first thing you need to do is seal up any cracks you have in your basement. Be sure to look closely around pipes, electrical conduits, and other objects that pass through your exterior walls.

You also want to make sure that all your windows have proper screens and a good seal around their frame. This is a good idea for keeping all sorts of bugs out, and also preventing moisture damage to your home.

It is extremely difficult to find and seal all the holes these creatures can squeeze in through, so another measure that is good to take is to reduce the conditions that bring camel crickets in close to your home. Don’t let any grass grow up next to your foundation wall and keep your lawn mowed. Keep your garbage cans sealed or put them somewhere away from your exterior walls. Do a routine cleaning of your gutter system to prevent clogs. Crickets are drawn to wet leaves and twigs.

You can also decrease how comfortable your basement is to camel crickets by installing a dehumidifier. Since these insects require moisture to live, removing the humidity from your basement and fixing weeping pipes can go a long way to telling those crickets that they are unwelcome.

None of these things will get rid of the crickets that are currently infesting your basement or wall voids. The reason we didn’t mention do-it-yourself cricket control measures is that they usually only lead to frustration and a prolonged infestation. If you’re feeling adventurous, you’re welcome to try sticky traps, soapy water, and all of the other strange ideas available on the web, but the effective exclusion of camel crickets requires an understanding of entomology and advanced pest control protocols. At Russell’s Pest Control, you’ll get both. When you’re ready to know that ALL the crickets in your home are gone–and gone for good–give us a call. We’d be happy to help.