Fall Has Arrived, So Will The Mice

Fall Has Arrived

Fall has arrived. The temperatures outside may be attempting to fool you, but the calendar doesn’t lie. It is fall. This means (I hate to say it) that winter is just around the corner. While our love for the warm, sunny weather may cause us to embrace the idea that it is not and those above mentioned warm temperatures are encouraging our misconception, pests like mice are not fooled for even a minute. They know full well that winter is knocking on the door, and they have rallied their troops and put forth the ‘all hands on deck’ order. Mice realize that the wind and colder weather will soon be settling in, and they do not want to be caught in it. The top worry to occupy their little minds is finding shelter for the winter – and your home is the all-inclusive resort they are seeking.

As tempting as it is for you to adopt the ‘I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it’ attitude, it is not the wisest choice for you to make. Remember that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!” It is never a good idea to wait for the diseases and destruction that mice cause and react to them. When we react, we often over react, panic, and make hasty decisions – and it often comes with a much higher price tag not only where our health is concerned, but in repair and restoration costs. It is far better to think ahead and prevent an invasion and leave the germs and damage for someone else who is not prepared.

There are things that you can tackle right now that will help you to avoid hosting mice for the winter, including:

  • Inspect your home. Look for cracks and holes the size of a dime in foundations because that is all it takes for a mouse to squeeze in. Use caulk to fill these spaces. Also, check all exterior doors to be sure the door sweeps are correctly installed and in good working order. While you are at it, be sure to inspect screens on windows and screen doors. Make sure you check utility entrances and rooflines as well.

  • Clean, clean, clean. Do not give mice the food sources they are looking for. It doesn’t take much to sustain a mouse. Be sure to periodically clean under stoves and refrigerators. Also, check between these large appliances and the counters next to them and vacuum the crumbs that accumulate there. Carpeted areas need to be frequently vacuumed and so do couches and chairs. When you spill or drop food items, be sure that you clean them up right away, and do not allow dirty dishes to sit on counters, especially overnight. If you must put off this dreaded chore, leave those items soaking in soapy water in your sink.

  • Tidy the exterior. A mouse issue always begins with your yard. When you allow areas that will attract mice to your yard, you are also inviting them to search for a way into your home. Make sure garden areas are free from falling and decaying vegetables and fruit, keep mulch piles away from your home, and be sure to keep trash in canisters with locking lids. Also, be sure that all wood, leaves, and other debris are picked up on a regular basis. If mice find hiding spots, they will take full advantage of them.

  • Set up professional pest control services. Year-round pest control protection is the best and surest way to keep mice from using your home for theirs. When you partner with the trusted professionals here at Russell’s Pest Control, you can know that any existing mice will be removed, their nesting areas will be cleaned, and their access points will be addressed.

  • Don’t let time run out on you and neglect the important task of preventing pests like mice this fall. Let the team that has been fighting pest battles here in Tennessee since 1971 take care of that for you. Russell’s Pest Control, we are only a call or a click away!

It’s Just A Little Cockroach

It's Just A Little Cockroach

There are some pests that will invade your home that may cause a bit of a stir, but it would by no means be an emergency. Ants, for example, may infest your home; and while you would want to have them dealt with as soon as possible, a few days probably aren’t going to matter much. You may see carpet beetles just before leaving on vacation, but you won’t have to wonder if it’s ok to wait a week before having them removed because you already know that they won’t do much in a week. Yes, there are some pests that you will want to take care of, but they really don’t pose a risk to you or your family or your home. Cockroaches are not that type of pest.

Cockroaches are simply filthy. They love to inhabit nasty places that are full of bacteria and other pathogens like sewers, trash receptacles and drain pipes. They wallow around these disgusting places picking up whatever germs just happen to rub against them and carry those germs wherever they roam. So when cockroaches come crawling across your kitchen floor, up your counters, through your silverware drawer, and into your food storage areas, they are not just picking up a snack for themselves and harmlessly moving on. No! They are leaving pathogens wherever they travel. These germs are quite capable of making you and your family sick. Very sick!

Have you ever heard of salmonella, or staphylococcus, or how about streptococcus or even polio? I’m sure you have, but what you may not know is that cockroaches are capable of carrying and spreading these illnesses. So that bout of strep that was passing through your son’s school just may have started with a cockroach. And that staph infection that Aunt Mable picked up after her surgery at the local hospital just may have been spread by a cockroach. Not a very pleasant thought is it?

Cockroaches are defiantly a pest that poses a risk to you and your loved ones, and it is one of those pests that require immediate attention. There is no waiting when these bad boys come calling. Fortunately, for those of us here in Tennessee, the pest control specialists here at Russell’s Pest Control have the training, experience, and products to safely and effectively eliminate cockroaches from any home or business. For over 40 years, home and business owners here in Tennessee have trusted Russell’s to protect them from these and other harmful invasive pests, and you can too. We can come eliminate a one-time problem, or set you up with one of our pest control plans for year-round protection for peace of mind, knowing that your friends and family are protected.

Don’t let cockroaches bring illness to your home or business when the specialists here at Russell’s Pest Control are just a call or a click away.

How To Solve The Problem Of Stink Bugs

How To Solve The Problem Of Stink Bugs

Whether you have a small garden or a massive farm, brown marmorated stink bugs can become a problem. These bugs, that were originally soybean and fruit crop pests in Japan, deface fruit here in the United States when they pierce the skin with their mouthparts. This damage also allows other bugs to infest the fruit, making it unsellable and unfit for human consumption.

The brown marmorated stink bug attacks a wide variety of crops. They will eat most fruits, but prefer pears, apples, peaches, nectarines, raspberries, blueberries, and grapes. They can also be found eating snap peas, lima beans, sweet corn, tomatoes, field corn, soybeans, cucumbers, bush beans, and peppers. But their diet isn’t limited to these.

Stink bugs are also known to eat seeds and seed pods of ornamental trees and shrubs. This can make them a major pest to residential landscapes. And, when they feed, they can affect plant health because they spread plant disease from one plant to the next.

The primary way stinks bugs make themselves a pest to residential homes is in the way that they congregate on the warm, sunny side of homes and eventually find their way inside when temperatures drop. While stink bugs don’t reproduce inside homes, preferring to wait until spring to lay eggs on outside plants, they can be a serious pain for homeowners when they crawl around in curtains and congregate on light fixtures.

The effective solution for stink bugs is an application of EPA-approved insecticides to targeted areas. Insecticides are used by farms and orchards to protect crops and control these bugs. And, home and business owners have insecticides applied to exterior walls to keep these pests from overwintering. All insecticides should be applied by a licensed professional. Inappropriate use of insecticides can be a danger to humans and pets.

If you are concerned about getting stink bugs in your home, here are a few things to remember:

  • Your door and window screens are the first line of defense against overwintering pests.

  • Make sure all of your door sweeps and weather strippings are in good working order.

  • When stink bugs find an entry point, they release a pheromone scent. It is important to vacuum up any stink bugs you see crawling around on your exterior walls, balcony, deck, or patio.

  • These bugs can get in through vents. Make sure you have screens covering them.

  • They can get in through chimneys, so consider covering your chimney with a cap.

  • Do a close examination of your exterior walls and use a caulking gun to fill in any gaps or holes.

  • Sealing up exterior walls from the invasion of stink bugs is very difficult. Sometimes it is only possible to exclude these bugs with the added protection of an insecticide application.

If you live in our Tennessee service area, let Russell’s Pest Control protect your home from the invasion of stink bugs. We offer safe and effective management for these and other invasive pests.

Bed Bugs On The Rise In Knoxville

Bed Bugs On The Rise In Knoxville

According to a recent poll, Knoxville is one of the worst bed bug infested cities in the United States. In fact, we came in 24th place. But the bad news doesn’t stop there. We were in 34th place last year. That is not good news at all.

You may be comforted to know that Knoxville wasn’t the only city here in Tennessee to find itself on this unflattering list. Nashville placed 22nd, but the reasons these two cities have bed bugs may actually surprise you.

For a very long time, bed bugs have been considered dirty pests that only infest dirty homes and businesses; but science has completely proven that theory wrong. These bugs don’t go where the filth is–like cockroaches do–they go where the blood is. Since these bugs live almost exclusively with humans, what better place to be than a city filled with humans? But, population isn’t the only factor. If it were, Memphis would have made it onto the list.

So, what makes Knoxville so attractive to bed bugs? We have less that 200,000 people. That isn’t much when compared to the 653,450 of Memphis or the 678,889 of Nashville. We don’t know for sure, but there is a good chance it is connected to the job boom. According to CNN Money, Knoxville has the best employment outlook in the nation.

Why do bed bugs care if the job market is doing well? They don’t actually, but increased job opportunities means more people are coming into Knoxville. Bed bugs are hitchhiking bugs that travel with people. Usually, they will do it in a piece of luggage, a pocket book, or a duffle bag; but when people move, they bring everything with them. That means that they will bring beds, furniture, and other popular places of bed bug infestation.

We won’t pretend to know all of the many ways bed bugs increase when population increases, or how a thriving job market factors into this. We also recognize that tourism, the hospitality industry, low gas prices, and other things factor in as well. But what we do know is that bed bugs are not a bug we ever have to live with. There are bed bug control methods and treatments that can get rid of these blood-eating pests and keep them from getting a foothold in the first place.

If you need help protecting your Knoxville home or business from the influx of bed bugs, let Russell’s Pest Control help. We have a proven track record of protecting folks from bugs. You’ll be able to sleep well with Russell’s Pest Control on the job.