Ladybug Prevention Tips

Ladybug Prevention Tips

In the insect world the ladybug may be one of the most adored bugs, it is an insect that people ooh and ah over and say “oh look how cute, a ladybug”. Most people don’t mind seeing the occasional ladybug and may almost look forward to running into one. They are so beloved that they are often the theme of children’s birthday parties and are considered a cute option for a Halloween costume. But, before you go on about how cute ladybugs are and how you don’t mind finding them in your home, has your home ever been invaded by hundreds of these dome-shaped spotted insects? Have you ever had to deal with hundreds and hundreds of these “cute” insects living in your home’s attic, crawl spaces, or behind its walls? While ladybugs are helpful outside, feeding on
aphids and other garden pests, when the weather cools they gather together in very large numbers to find a safe warm spot to overwinter. If precautions are not taken, that overwintering spot, could be your home, and we can promise they will not be so cute then.

The good news when it comes to ladybugs is that they are not dangerous to people, they don’t bite or sting, and aren’t known to cause any health concerns. However, that doesn’t mean that anyone wants to or should have to have hundreds of these insects crawling through and living inside of your home. The following tips should help to prevent these cute, yet very annoying pests from finding their way into your home this fall season.

  • When creating garden areas on your property make sure to place them as far away from the exterior of your home as possible
  • Ladybugs live on plants, so before you bring outdoor plants inside for the winter, make sure to inspect them for ladybugs
  • Inspect your home’s foundation and exterior walls, caulking any spaces and gaps that are found to help prevent ladybugs from squeezing their way into your home as they climb its exterior
  • Check your home’s windows and doors, make sure that weather stripping is intact, door sweeps are in place, screens are completely intact, and that any gaps found around the windows and doors are caulked
  • Make sure that all vents have tight-fitting mesh covers over them, fill in spaces found around utilities entering into your home, and place caps on all chimneys

Stop ladybugs from overwintering in your home this winter season by following the above prevention tips. While we agree that ladybugs are adorable, we all need to work together to keep them outside where they belong. To help protect your home from being invaded by ladybugs this fall and other critters throughout the rest of the year, put into place a year-round pest control program from Russell’s Pest Control. Our residential pest control programs will provide the continuous protection your home needs to become and stay free of more than 30 common household pests! Contact us today to learn more about these beneficial programs!

Tips To Avoid Boxelder Bugs This Fall

Tips To Avoid Boxelder Bugs This Fall

Boxelder bugs are a common pest in Tennessee, especially in the fall. They begin to look for a place to call home over the colder months. As winter approaches they will congregate on warm, sunny sides of homes, then wiggle through gaps and cracks in siding, and around windows and doors.

Boxelder bugs are about 1/2” in length, are black and have red stripes on their body and edge of its wings making V shapes. They are mostly attracted to boxelder trees, and silver maples, where they feed off of the moisture from the trees. In the fall when they make their way into your home, they may look for moisture in your houseplants, but they are not a danger to them or humans. The only real damage they can cause is if there is a high population of them, otherwise, they are considered a nuisance pest. The biggest problem is, boxelder bugs can get into your furniture and drapes, where their feces can cause staining.

As with any pest, once they get into your home, they are hard to remove. Prevention is the best way to avoid a boxelder bug infestation. Here are a few prevention tips that you may find useful:

  • Inspect your home for openings like crevices, gaps, and cracks

  • Seal those openings with caulking

  • Repair or replace any damaged screens or vents

  • Fill in gaps around utility lines, cables, cords, and pipes

  • If you have any boxelder or silver maple trees you may want to consider removing them from your yard, but that can be costly and not very practical

If your home is already infested you will need to remove these pests. Try vacuuming them up with a long vacuum hose or sweep up the dead bug remains. Smooshing a boxelder bug can stain surfaces, so you may want to avoid that.

Russell’s Pest Control in Knoxville and Eastern Tennessee offers year-round pest prevention so that you don’t have to worry about pests, ever again. We have a variety of pest control programs to choose from that can control and prevent infestations in your home.

Our Power program protects your family, pets, and home from 30+ common pests and has a pest-free guarantee. Additionally, our Power Gold program includes termite service and our Power Plus includes mosquito, carpenter bee, fire ant, flea and tick services. If you want it all, then our Power Platinum program is for you. We have something for everyone to suit your needs and your budget. Just give us a call today at Russell Pest Control in Tennessee, so that your home can be pest free.

Guide To Fall Spider Elimination

Guide To Fall Spider Elimination

Have you ever walked into your shed or garage and stepped through a spider web? Have you ever walked out your sliding glass doors only to have a web drape across your face? Walking through a spider web is no fun. Not simply because it is annoying, but because you have no idea whether or not there was a spider on that web, or whether or not that spider is now crawling on your clothing somewhere. But, as unsettling as spiders can be in your yard, they are even more unsettling when they get in the house.

Fall is a unique time of year. It is the time of year when temperatures start to drop, and bugs start to look for places to hide from the freezing temperatures of winter. When they do, they often find their way into our homes.

You may not know this, but spiders are actually pretty resilient when it comes to freezing temperatures. They have a natural sort of antifreeze that protects them. While it is possible for them to freeze, it is much less likely than it is for many other bugs. But, since spiders feed on other bugs, they are likely to go where their food goes.

There are many spiders that will not be happy to stay in your home. They prefer to be in your garden or exterior flower beds. But, there are some that will find your house to be the perfect environment. These spiders are often called common house spiders. The name pretty much says it all. These are the spiders you’re going to commonly find making webs inside your home. But there is one thing this name does not reveal. It does not reveal the role that fall plays in introducing these spiders to a home. While they can get inside any time of the year, it is much more likely to occur when food sources outside become scarce.

Before those spiders start to invade your home, it is a good idea to seal your exterior walls and foundation, inspect and repair all your screens, examine weather stripping and door sweeps, and take measures to reduce insects on your home. This will help to reduce the number of spiders inside your home this fall–and beyond.

If you need assistance with insect and spider control, reach out to Russell’s Pest Control. We offer comprehensive pest solutions that will help to keep all the bugs out of your home and manage the bugs around your home, all year long.