Are Wasps Dangerous?

Are Wasps Dangerous?

Wasps are a pain – literally – when they get too comfortable in your backyard. You see them buzzing around your garden and swarming your garbage cans, but are wasps dangerous to humans? Russell’s Pest Control examines the different types of wasps and the dangers they pose to you, your pets, and your family.

Problems with Wasps

There are a few types of wasp species in Tennessee. The most common types of wasps are:

  • Paper wasps
  • Solitary wasps
  • Yellow jacket wasps

The problem with wasps is that they are overly territorial and aggressive. When wasps decide they want to nest, the entire colony will help out. When a colony of wasps targets your home or yard, wasps will begin to build nests anywhere they can hang it, and it will be protected. Paper wasps will create large, elaborate nests in rafters, under eaves, under decks, in windows, in door frames, under railings, and in trees. Wasps use a combination of saliva and wood or paper to build comb nests.

Yellow jacket wasps, often confused with honeybees, become problematic when they detect a nearby food source. Yellow jacket wasps will invade picnics, outdoor gatherings, compost piles, and garbage cans. Yellow jackets scavenge areas that offer protein and sugary foods.

Identifying Wasps

Wasps are not difficult to spot. Papers wasps are identified by their large bodies, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch, and their black or brown bodies. Paper wasps have yellow markings on their bodies and grey-colored wings.

Yellow jacket wasps look like large bees, but their bodies are shiny, and they don’t have as much hair. The yellow jacket wasp is between 10 and 16 mm. Typically, yellow jackets are black and yellow. The yellow jacket has long wings on the body that fold when the yellow jacket is not in flight.

Why Wasps Are Dangerous

Wasps are dangerous because they are aggressive and territorial, and they will use their long stinger to attack. Unlike bees, wasps can use the stinger several times. If someone or something approaches a wasp nest, wasps will attack to keep the intruder out. Wasps will also sting if they are agitated or disturbed while pollinating or scavenging. Wasps will also attack in packs, which can be dangerous and deadly. If someone in your home is allergic to wasp stings, they can suffer from a severe reaction that requires immediate medical attention.

Don’t risk a wasp attack. Once wasps begin nesting in your yard or on your home, it is hard to get rid of them. If you do attempt to control wasps on your home, you put yourself in the line of fire for an attack. Call the professionals instead.

The Russell’s Pest Control year-round pest control service successfully prevents and treats problems with wasps and more than 30 other types of household pests.

Top Five Flea Prevention Tips

Top Five Flea Prevention Tips

Fleas again? Fleas are undoubtedly one of the most annoying pests we face in Knoxville, but have you ever stopped to wonder how these pests got into your home if you have inside pets?  

Fleas are parasites and they are very successful at what they do. They can survive for long periods of time in many types of climates and can even lay dormant for many months without a host.

Now, it’s pretty obvious how outside pets get fleas; they jump onto your pet while they are roaming around outdoors. Once indoors, the climate inside your home is perfect for them regarding temperature and humidity, making it simple for them to survive. Flea survival includes reproduction, and their population increases pretty rapidly which makes them very difficult to get rid of.

But, what if your pet is an indoor pet or if you do not own any pets at all? Can you still get fleas? Well, sadly, the answer is, yes! Fleas do not need your pet in order to find a way into your home. Other ways they enter your home include on clothing, on shoes, and on pests like rodents.

As soon as these jumpy little pests find a host, they start their blood meal right away. Adult fleas will stay attached to hosts, but the larvae will move about and hide in your home in pet bedding, carpets, furniture, baseboards, and other cracks and crevices. Once they become adults, they feed and remain on their host…and so the cycle goes!

You need to avoid a flea infestation, and not just because their bite is annoying! Fleas carry and transmit some pretty serious diseases. Your pets can be at risk for tapeworm and secondary infections from scratching at flea bites; and people can become infected with endemic typhus and murine typhus among others. At the very least, fleas can keep you awake at night with itching, especially if you are sensitive to their bite.

So, how do you prevent fleas from entering your home, feeding on your pets, and becoming a full-blown infestation? You can follow these top five flea prevention tips:

  1. Treat your pets with vet approved flea control.

  2. Inspect your pets and pet areas frequently for fleas.

  3. Vacuum and wash pet bedding regularly.

  4. After time outdoors, check your clothing and shoes for fleas before going indoors.

  5. Contact a professional pest control service to help you achieve a flea-free home and yard.

In Knoxville and Eastern Tennessee, you can count on Russell’s Pest Control. Our Power Plan offers protection from fleas. To learn more about our effective, environmentally responsible services for fleas and other pests, give us a call today.

Knoxville Pest Companies Respond To Spike In Spider Infestations

Knoxville Pest Companies Respond To Spike In Spider Infestations

WBIR.COM
Raishad Hardnett
July 18th, 2017

 

As temperatures continue to rise in East Tennessee, some pests are becoming more active.

Several Knoxville pest control companies say calls are flooding in this summer more than past years, especially for spider infestations.

Calls are ringing off the hook at Russell’s Pest Control company, where staff are now receiving 20 to 30 calls per week for spider problems alone.

“Spiders especially have skyrocketed this year,” said Brian Smith, service manager for Russell’s Pest Company. “It wasn’t as active last year. It was very hot, but very dry, and there wasn’t a lot of rain. We’ve had a good amount of rain this year.”

Across Knoxville, at least three pest companies report a rise in spider-related calls, including a venomous spider called the Brown Recluse.

The spider, identified by a violin-shaped torso, can be found all over the South, from East Tennessee to Oklahoma. Smith said they are usually more prevalent in the Midwest than East Tennessee, but multiple companies say calls are becoming increasingly more common.

One company, Dayton’s Pest Control, reported about half a dozen calls for Brown Recluse in the past month. Experts say that is not overly prevalent, but still more than usual for East Tennessee.

Last week, another Knoxville company, Frogg’s Pest Control, responded to a home littered with them.

“The Brown Recluse gets a lot of attention because of the severity of the bite,” said Smith. “Their venom can cause flesh and muscle to deteriorate.”

However, experts at the University of California Riverside found “90 percent of Brown Recluse bites are not medically significant, and heal very nicely often without medical intervention.” 

Smith said the spider is likely to live in more homes than many people realize, due to their secluded nature. Exterminating the spiders is tricky, however, because they hide in nooks and crannies, often making glue traps more effective than pesticides.

“We try to put a lot of glue boards, a lot of monitors out to try to catch those spiders because they are so reclusive,” Smith said.

Smith said Russell’s Pest Control is beefing up staff to handle the uptick in pest calls.

If you do find Brown Recluse in your home, your best move may be to call the professionals.

Mosquito Remedies That Don’t Work

Mosquito Remedies That Don't Work

Not only are their constant buzzing annoying and their bites both painful and itchy, mosquitoes can cause disease and even death to humans. Mosquitoes can ruin your outdoor activities, from cookouts to hunting to sporting events. They’re a tiny insect but they cause huge problems.

A Bloodsucker is Born

The entire life cycle of a mosquito only lasts for a short period of time. Male mosquitoes tend to live about a week in ideal conditions, while female mosquitoes may live a few months if situations are right. Mosquitoes will not travel more than a mile from where they hatch, so the mosquitoes that buzz around your face and bite your arms and legs when you’re trying to enjoy the great outdoors were born on your property. A female mosquito can produce as many as 500 eggs before she dies, making the sole purpose of mosquitoes to lay more eggs and make more mosquitoes!

Worthless DIY Mosquito Control

There are many types of do-it-yourself mosquito control techniques, but unfortunately, most of them are worthless:

  • Bug Zappers – These lights attract only male mosquitoes and when this mosquito flies into the light, it gets “zapped” and dies. Because male mosquitoes do not bite humans, it doesn’t make any sense to use bug zappers. The females will continue to bite you.

  • Citronella Plants – Some people plant citronella plants all around their home hoping to repel mosquitoes. While citronella is not favored by mosquitoes, you would have to plant a jungle’s worth of citronella plants for this to be an effective mosquito control method.

  • Dryer Sheets – Some swear that placing a dryer sheet in your pocket will repel mosquitoes. Studies have shown that dryer sheets repel fungus gnats, but there is no evidence that shows they also work to repel mosquitoes.

  • Mouthwash – Spraying yourself with mouthwash may give you a minty-fresh odor, but it’s not going to keep the mosquitoes from landing on you and biting you.

Mosquito Control That Actually Works

To control these bloodsuckers in your yard, you should call on the experts at Russell’s Pest Control. Mosquito control is part of our Power Platinum residential pest control plan, which gives you year-round protection against more than 30 of the most common pests, termites, and carpenter bees. Each quarter, we visit your home and protect you from the pests of the season. If you have trouble in between service visits, just give us a call and we’ll return to ensure you stay pest-free.