American, German, Or Oriental – Which Cockroach Am I Dealing With?

American

Did you know that there are several types of cockroaches that you could be invading your Tennessee home? Each one of these roaches present serious health threats when they invade your home as they likely spent time in some extremely filthy and unsanitary areas before entering your home. Russell’s Pest Control can provide cockroach control for each of the following types of cockroaches:

American Cockroaches

American cockroaches are the largest home-invading cockroaches found in our area and can reach up to 2 inches in length! They are reddish-brown in color and have a distinctive yellowish figure-eight pattern on the back of their head. These cockroaches prefer to live in damp, dark places with warm temperatures. They will enter homes if the weather becomes unfavorable or if they are in need of food. These pests can be found living in sewage systems and feeding on decaying matter and garbage. Once indoors, American roaches can often be found in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room areas as well as in basements and attics.

German Cockroaches

German cockroaches are light brown or tan in color and have two dark stripes on their back just behind their head. They are much smaller than American cockroaches, reaching only about ½ an inch in length. German cockroaches also enjoy warm, moist places to live and will feed on just about anything they can find. These roaches are commonly found in the same areas as the American cockroach, especially in kitchens and bathrooms.

Oriental Cockroaches

Oriental cockroaches are shiny black in color and about 1 inch in size. These cockroaches differ from the other species as they can survive in much colder weather conditions. Though they can survive outdoors in freezing temperatures, they prefer living in the basements and crawl spaces of our homes. Oriental cockroaches feed on a variety of different things including rotten or decaying substances and sewage, so having these pests in your home can be hazardous to your health and the health of your family members.

All of these cockroaches have the ability to spread over 30 types of bacteria and 6 kinds of parasites. As we mentioned before, these pests crawl through some extremely unsanitary substances before entering your home. When they do so, these roaches pick up bacteria, viruses, and other harmful pathogens on their bodies and legs that they can then carry inside and spread throughout the home they are invading. These roaches spread numerous disease-causing bacteria that can make you become very ill including salmonella, staphylococcus, and streptococcus. Additionally, their shed skins, waste, and saliva have qualities that can trigger allergies and even asthma attacks in some people, especially young children and the elderly.

If you are experiencing problems with cockroaches in your home, then it’s time to give us a call! Dealing with a cockroach infestation on your own is extremely difficult. Instead of struggling to control them on your own, contact Russell’s Pest Control to have one of our technicians evaluate your pest problem. We will recommend the pest control plan that’s right for you and your specific situation in order to get rid of your roach problem once and for all! We offer both home and commercial pest control programs, so if you are dealing with a cockroach infestation in your business, give us a call today!

Why Nonvenomous House Spiders Are More Than Just A Nuisance

Why Nonvenomous House Spiders Are More Than Just A Nuisance

Here in Knoxville, we get to see a wide range of wildlife, some of which we enjoy more than others. When it comes to spiders, we all know to stay away from the two poisonous types that live here, the brown recluse and the black widow, but did you know you should also be wary of having nuisance spiders take up residence in your home?

Below are three common nuisance spiders that live in the Knoxville area, why you don’t want them in your home, and what to do if you discover they have already invaded:

Orb Weaver Spiders

As their name suggests, orb weaver spiders weave intricate, wheel-shaped webs that they anchor between tree branches or other objects in order to catch their prey.

Orb weavers range from ¼ of an inch to 1 inch in length. These spiders have brown or black bodies with brightly colored markings on them that can be red, yellow, or orange. Their legs are spiny and hairy.

Orb weaver spiders are also commonly referred to as garden spiders as they are typically found in garden areas. These spiders can also be found in the corners of doorways, porches, and decks. Because the insects they feed on are drawn to light, they are also often found near porch lights.

Although they will bite if threatened, orb weaver spiders are not dangerous and their bites typically do not cause any health problems for humans.

Wolf Spiders

Wolf spiders range in size from ¼ inch to about 1 ½ inches. The females are typically larger than the males. These spiders have dark brown bodies with light brown or yellow colored stripes and long spiny legs. Wolf spiders can also be identified by their unique eye arrangement: four small eyes on the bottom row, two large eyes in the middle, and two medium-sized eyes on top.

Wolf spiders do not build webs. Instead, they hunt and capture their prey.

Although their name indicates otherwise, wolf spiders are not aggressive and would rather hide from humans than bite them. In addition, the bites of these spiders pose no serious threats to humans.

Cellar Spiders

Cellar spiders have small bodies that range in size from ¼ to ⅜ of an inch long and are typically pale yellow, light brown, or gray in color. Because of their long, skinny legs, cellar spiders often get confused with daddy long legs.

Cellar spiders build large, irregular-shaped webs that they continually add to. These spiders are social spiders and prefer to live in groups.

Cellar spiders cannot bite because their mouths are too small and therefore pose no danger to humans.

Why You Don’t Want Nuisance Spiders in Your House

Although they pose very few health risks in and of themselves, the presence of nuisance spiders in your home is not something to ignore. Though having nuisance spiders living inside your home is unpleasant enough, the presence could indicate other problems as well.

Spiders prefer to live in areas with high humidity levels. High humidity in your home or basement is not just uncomfortable, but could actually cause or indicate damage. Reduce humidity in your home by installing dehumidifiers, running fans, and making sure you have no leaking pipes or drainage issues.

Spiders also like to live near abundant food sources. If you begin to find large populations of nuisance spiders in your home, it could indicate that you have another pest problem as well!

What to Do About Them

Ridding your home of nuisance spiders from your home can be tricky business. Besides keeping humidity low and food sources to a minimum, you should also check outside your home for cracks or spaces that would provide them with easy entry to your home and seal any that you find.

If you have a spider problem in your home, it’s time to call the professionals at Russell’s Pest Control! Our ongoing pest control is the best way to ensure that your Knoxville home stays free of eight-legged home invaders. Give us a call today at Russell’s Pest Control for your free estimate!

Signs Of Termite Infestation Tennessee Homeowners Need To Be Aware Of

Signs Of Termite Infestation Tennessee Homeowners Need To Be Aware Of

When it comes to pests, there is a wide range of dangers associated with them, depending on what type of pest they are. Some pests are simply nuisances meaning that they don’t transmit illnesses and don’t do a great deal of damage, but are simply annoying to have around. Other pests are dangerous to humans and may bite, sting, or transmit serious diseases. Then there are the pests that don’t transmit diseases, but cause damages to homes that can be expensive and in some cases, irreparable.

The greatest offender of this third type of pest is the termite. While termites rarely cause bodily harm to humans in the form of bites or stings and are not known to spread diseases, they do cause billions of dollars in damage to homes in the United States every single year!

The biggest problem with termites and the reason they can cause so much damage is that they usually remain undetected for far too long. Oftentimes, by the time homeowners recognize that they have a termite problem, the termites have been causing damages to their homes for years!

In order to avoid termites and the damage they cause, it’s vital that you are proactive in taking measures to prevent them from invading your home, but you should first look for the signs of termites to make sure you don’t already have a termite problem.

Signs of a Termite Infestation

If you have a termite problem, the chances that you’ll see an actual termite are very slim. The greatest chance you have of seeing termites is when they are swarming. This typically occurs in the spring when a large number of the reproductive members of a colony come into plain view to find a mate and form a new colony. You can identify swarmers by their two sets of long white wings and by the fact that you’ll likely see a large cluster of these winged termites. If you see a termite swarm outside your home, your home may be at risk of a termite infestation.

Other signs of a termite infestation are so subtle that even some trained home inspectors or other professionals may miss them! One sign is long grooves created inside of the wood of your home. You typically wouldn’t notice this unless you’re doing renovations to your home. If you knock on a wooden beam and it sounds hollow or break off a piece of wood from your home and it feels light or hollow, you may have a termite problem.

Finally, if you have a major termite problem, you may notice peeling wallpaper, sagging floors or ceilings, windows and doors that won’t open or close properly, and bulging walls. If you see any of these warning signs, it may be time for a termite inspection.

How to Prevent Termites

Termites are attracted to moisture so it is very important to keep your home and surroundings as dry as possible. Establish good drainage systems around your property, repair any leaky pipes immediately, and replace any water damaged wood. In addition, here are a few other things you can do to deter these wood-destroying pests:

  • Keep wood and brush piles a distance away from your home and as dry as possible.
  • Remove dead trees from your property.
  • Keep your gutters cleaned out and free of debris.
  • Keep mulch at least two feet away from your home.
  • Most importantly, consider taking preventative measures in the form of termite prevention from Russell’s Pest Control!

Russell’s offers a comprehensive termite control service built around the Sentricon® System with Always Active™. As its name suggests, this system not only eliminates current termite colonies, it also constantly works to prevent future colonies from forming and invading your home.

Take action today to prevent costly damage tomorrow. Give us a call at Russell’s Pest Control today!

How East Tennessee Residents Can Protect Themselves From Fall Pests

How East Tennessee Residents Can Protect Themselves From Fall Pests

Fall is coming our way, and there is nothing we can do to stop it from reaching us. However, there are a few things you can do to keep your home safe from the fall pests that are now on the search for a cozy place to stay this winter. A warm home like yours may seem especially inviting to pests such as boxelder bugs, ladybugs, mice, and stink bugs—so here’s everything you need to know about each of them.

Boxelder Bugs, Ladybugs, and Stink Bugs

Each of these common fall pests seem to think your home is a great place to stay warm throughout the winter, and all of them can cause you problems. Boxelder bugs, stink bugs and ladybugs almost always enter your home in large numbers. They congregate on windowsills or in the corners of your ceiling, huddling together in a protected group from the outside environment. Having these pests crawling around your home and hiding in every corner can be annoying enough, but did you know that these bugs can also cost you money?

Because boxelder bugs are drawn to heat sources in your home, your A/C unit is a common area that they gather around. If their numbers get too large, however, this can cause you issues by making your A/C work too hard—even to the point of overheating. The costs associated with your electric bill may spike due to the extra work your A/C did to compensate for the boxelder bugs gathering there.

Both ladybugs and boxelder bugs produce a foul-smelling waste that can stain your walls, furniture, and other fabrics in your home. These stain spots are often difficult to clean, making your home look filthy and forcing you to replace the items they ruin. A knowledge that isn’t always widely known is that the pheromones produced by a ladybug’s blood and waste can linger in your walls for years, attracting more ladybugs to your home year after year, leading to further infestations in the future.

Stink bugs are insects that are known for the disgusting smell they emit when crushed or threatened, and are more of an agricultural pest than anything else. They invade your home to stay warm while the weather is cold, but as soon as things start warming up, they will move back outside. If you have a garden, they can be especially irritating, as they will feed on the crops you are growing.

Mice

Mice are the biggest problem you will face this fall due to the fact that they cause structural damage by chewing on wires, PVC piping, and several items made of wood. Additionally, mice will get into your foods, which is dangerous because they are carriers of several diseases that can be transferred to humans. The crevices mice squeeze through to get into your home creates larger openings for other pests to enter, and mice often bring ticks and fleas in with them on their fur. Diseases they carry can be dangerous to your health, so it is very important that you understand how to keep them out of your home.

Everyone wants to keep all of these pests out of their home and avoid any unnecessary costs or damages to their property. Here are some things you can do to help keep pests out of your living space this fall.

  • Seal all cracks and crevices in the foundation of your home
  • Make sure all your windows screens are free of rips or tears
  • Fill in any gaps under or around windows and doors
  • Be sure that your vents are properly covered
  • Keep trees and all other landscaping trimmed back from the exterior of your home

If you already have pests inside your home, or would like to have a sure fire way of keeping them from entering your home, be sure to give Russell’s Pest Control a call. Our specialists know all about the pesky tricks pests will use to get into your home, and we have several treatment options to guarantee none of them will even try. At Russell’s Pest Control, we care about keeping our customers’ homes pest free and comfortable, so contact us today—and we will keep pests away all year long.

Dangers Blacklegged Ticks Pose To Tennessee Residents And Pets

Dangers Blacklegged Ticks Pose To Tennessee Residents And Pets

Tennessee is a beautiful place to spend time outdoors! When the weather is nice, it makes sense to enjoy everything that nature has to offer. Whether that’s relaxing with a book in your own backyard, visiting your favorite swimming hole, or hitting the trails for an enjoyable hike, it just feels good to be outside!

Unfortunately, there is one reason that spending time outdoors is a bit more dangerous than it used to be. In recent years, there has been a steep rise in the population of blacklegged ticks, and with this increase also comes the increased risk of contracting some serious diseases.

Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are well-known in the Northeast; in fact, Lyme disease was named after a town in Connecticut! However, they don’t only live in the Northeastern states. Blacklegged ticks are a pest that Tennessee residents need to be aware of and take precautions against while spending time outdoors.

Ticks can’t fly, but that doesn’t mean that they stay in one area; instead, these pests hitch rides on wild animals, which means that they can travel relatively long distances and end up anywhere that rodents, deer, and other wild animals travel, including in your yard!

When you and your pets are spending time outdoors, ticks will wait for you to brush past them as you walk; they will then grab on with their front legs and crawl to a warm place on you or your pet and embed themselves into the skin in order to feed.

Diseases That Blacklegged Ticks Carry

While there are many diseases that ticks can transmit, the most well-known one is Lyme disease. Like most tick-borne illnesses, Lyme is transmitted after an infected tick is attached to the skin for at least 24 hours. This is why performing frequent and thorough tick checks after spending time outdoors is essential in preventing tick-borne illnesses.

It is possible to have a tick embed, feed, and release itself from you without you ever noticing, so just because you didn’t see a tick doesn’t mean you haven’t been bitten! While adult blacklegged ticks are about the size of a sesame seed and are relatively easy to see if you’re looking for them, the nymphs are extremely tiny and must be carefully searched for.

If you have been infected with Lyme disease, symptoms can start to show anywhere from 3 to 30 days after being bitten. The most obvious symptom is the distinct bullseye rash around the area of the bite. However, not everyone who contracts Lyme disease will develop this rash.

Other early symptoms of Lyme mimic the symptoms of the flu. You may contract a fever, feel lethargic and achy, and have a headache. If you develop these symptoms when it isn’t flu season or when you haven’t been around anyone who was sick recently, consider going to the doctor to be tested. When caught early enough, Lyme disease is treatable with a heavy duty dose of antibiotics.

If not caught early, Lyme can cause significant long-term problems. Undetected Lyme disease can cause joint pain and neurological problems, including impaired muscle movement, swelling of the membranes around your brain, limb numbness, and more.

Other tick-borne illnesses spread by blacklegged ticks include babesiosis, anaplasmosis or ehrlichiosis, and Powassan virus.

How to Prevent Tick Bites

As mentioned earlier, checking yourself, your family members, and your pets after spending time outside is very important. However, this is not the only way to protect yourself from tick-borne diseases. Other important preventions to follow are:

  • Keeping up-to-date on tick treatments for your pets.
  • Keeping your lawn well-trimmed as ticks like to live in areas of tall grass.
  • Keeping your lawn free of leaf litter and tree debris where ticks often hide.
  • Wearing light-colored long sleeve shirts and pants when walking in the woods. Wearing light-colored clothing makes it easier to see any ticks that have crawled on you.
  • Wearing tick repellant with DEET when spending time outdoors. DEET is currently the most effective bug spray at keeping ticks and other pests away from you.
  • Getting your property treated by professionals.

Because they travel on other animals, ticks are impossible to completely eliminate from your property. However, by taking the precautions listed above including contacting the experts at Russell’s Pest Control, it is possible to manage the tick populations on your property and give yourself some peace of mind when spending time in your backyard. Russell’s tick control is a seasonal service that is administered between April and September which is when ticks are the most active. Call us today for a free estimate!