A Simple Guide To Fungus Gnats In Knoxville

A Simple Guide To Fungus Gnats In Knoxville

If you have recently started seeing mosquito-like bugs in your house and all your plants seem to be dying, you may be experiencing a fungus gnat infestation. Many people are unfamiliar with these pests, which is why we’ve put together this simple guide to fungus gnats in Knoxville.

What Fungus Gnats Look Like

Fungus gnats are very small, rarely growing to be more than 1/8th of an inch in length, although they can grow up to ½ of an inch. They have an appearance similar to mosquitoes with dark bodies and long, thin legs.

Fungus gnat larvae are worm-like in appearance with translucent white, legless bodies and black heads. They sometimes leave slime trails behind that are similar to slug trails.

Where to Find Fungus Gnats in Your Knoxville Home

Fungus gnats are attracted to moist soil and are often found in or near mulch, house plants, compost, and other organic items.

Outside of your house, you may find them in the landscaping around the perimeter of your house. They are attracted to light, so from this location, they may get inside through small openings around your windows or doors.

They may also get inside your Knoxville home by being carried inside in the soil used for houseplants.

If they get inside, you’re likely to find fungus gnats in your houseplants. You may also find them feeding on ripe or decaying fruits and vegetables on your counters or in other organic matter in your home.

The Problems Fungus Gnats Cause

Fungus gnats are primarily considered nuisance pests. However, when they get into your home, they are not without their problems.

  • First, fungus gnats reproduce rapidly. Even if just a few get into your Knoxville home, they can quickly grow to out-of-control proportions.
  • Second, fungus gnats destroy house plants. Fungus gnat larvae live in the soil and feed on the roots of plants. Eventually, the root damage causes your houseplants to die.
  • Third, fungus gnats can contaminate food. When they feed on produce, they make it unfit to eat. Not only does this waste food and money, but if you are unaware of the contamination and end up eating the food, you could get sick. In this way, fungus gnats can be harmful to humans.
  • Finally, fungus gnats spread bacteria. They spend time in some locations that are not sanitary. While there, they can pick up bacteria on their bodies that they can then spread to other locations, including your food and countertops.

How to Prevent Fungus Gnats

The best way to prevent fungus gnats in and around your home is to limit the things they love.

  • Since they prefer moist soil, make sure you don’t overwater your gardens.
  • Make sure mulched areas around your house receive plenty of sunlight so they don’t harbor wet, shady areas.
  • Keep compost piles well away from your house.
  • Be careful, when bringing potted plants into your house, that there aren’t any fungus gnat larvae in the soil.
  • Ensure that windows and doors have no gaps or cracks around them.
  • Make sure all window and door screens are in good repair without holes or tears.

How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats

If you find fungus gnats in your home, you’ll want to take action quickly to prevent them from getting out of control. Russell’s Pest Control offers treatments that will get at the source of the problem, eliminating fungus gnats and helping you eliminate the things that are attracting them to your home.

How Bad Are the Wolf Spiders In Knoxville?

How Bad Are the Wolf Spiders In Knoxville?

When you hear ‘wolf spider.’ what comes to mind? For anyone who feels uneasy around spiders, the name can invoke some terrifying mental images of giant, hairy monsters intent on destruction. Myths abound about these arachnids, including one that insists that wolf spiders kill cats. How bad are wolf spiders really? Let’s discuss the facts.

What Do Wolf Spiders Look Like and What Are Their Habits?

It’s true that wolf spiders can be frightening to look at. They can grow quite large, with females reaching lengths up to an inch and a half. Their large bodies and thick legs are covered in brown hair and they usually have lighter colored markings.

Despite their hairy appearance, wolf spiders don’t get their name from what they look like, but from the way they hunt. Unlike other spiders that primarily use webs to catch their food, wolf spiders chase their prey. They are fast runners and typically hunt at night, choosing to remain in more secluded areas during the day. They’ll often use webbing to cover the entrances to these areas.

You are most likely to see wolf spiders outdoors, but they do occasionally get inside Knoxville homes while on the hunt. If they get inside, they might return outdoors, but if they find a plentiful food source, they are likely to stay inside the home.

Although most reproductive spiders leave their egg sacs attached to their webs, wolf spiders attach their egg sacs to themselves. Even after the baby spiders are born, mother wolf spiders will walk around with them on their abdomens for up to two weeks.

Can a Wolf Spider Hurt You?

Many people are afraid of spiders, for a variety of reasons. In some cases, this fear is justified. For instance, brown recluse and black widow spiders rarely bite, but when they do, they cause serious medical issues with their venom.

In other cases, these fears are unfounded. When it comes to wolf spiders, many people are afraid of them because of their size, creepy appearance, and name. The truth is, wolf spiders are relatively harmless. They can bite you, but they will only do so if provoked. Although a wolf spider bite might hurt and is mildly venomous, its venom is not strong enough to cause any long-term harm. Furthermore, a wolf spider bite won’t kill your cat.

How Can You Prevent Wolf Spiders From Getting Into Your Knoxville Home?

Despite their relative harmlessness, it’s likely that you would prefer not to have wolf spiders enter your home. You can prevent them with the following tips:

  • Look around the outside perimeter of your house. Seal all cracks and crevices that you find in your foundation walls and siding.
  • Repair any damage to windows and doors, including holes or tears in screens.
  • Fill all gaps around windows and doors.
  • Make sure you don’t have other pest problems in your home. A food source will attract wolf spiders to your Knoxville home.

What Should You Do if Wolf Spiders Get Into Your Knoxville Home?

If you find wolf spiders in your house, you may need professional help to get rid of them. Russell’s Pest Control can help eliminate these large pests from your home. If you have more questions or wish to schedule an appointment, contact us! We’re happy to help.

The Creepiest Crickets Ever Seen in Knoxville

The Creepiest Crickets Ever Seen in Knoxville

If you’ve heard someone talk about camel crickets and the name makes you gasp, you’re not alone. Imagining a cricket-camel hybrid is terrifying. We can ease your fear by assuring you that camel crickets are not the size of a camel. They get their name from their humped backs. However, these pests do look like spiders. If you’ve never heard of camel crickets, or even if you have, keep reading for answers to all your camel cricket-questions.

What are camel crickets?

Camel crickets, also called spider crickets, cave crickets, and sprickets, are creepy pests. They look a lot like spiders but are a kind of cricket with a humped back and long legs. They also have long antennae, which is what gives them a spider-like appearance. They are brown and tan and can be around ½ an inch to 1 ½ inches long.

How do camel crickets get inside?

Camel crickets can get inside through cracks in the exterior of your home or tears in the screens around your windows or doors. They come inside looking for shelter and often hide out in basements. They like cool, damp, dark areas. Besides basements, you might find them in crawl spaces, storage areas, or garages.

Do camel crickets die in the winter?

Camel crickets, unfortunately, can be year-round pests. If they get inside, they can live out the winter inside your Knoxville home. In fact, during the fall months and early winter, you may see more camel crickets than at any other time of year since they’ll be looking for warm places to spend the winter and will be seeking shelter in your home.

Can camel crickets hurt you?

Camel crickets don’t bite or sting. They also aren’t known to carry dangerous diseases or bacteria. That means the short answer is no. However, they are considered nuisance pests. They don’t chirp like other crickets do, but their chewing noises can be loud and annoying. Plus, they can be terrifying pests to have around. Their defense mechanism when scared is to jump straight at you… something that can be horrible to experience when you’re trying to relax in your home. Plus, their chewing can cause expensive damage to your home. They eat fabrics, so you may begin to see holes in clothing, upholstery, curtains, bedding, and more.

How do you get rid of camel crickets?

The best way to get rid of camel crickets is to stop them from getting in. Check the exterior of your home for holes or cracks that may be acting as entry points for camel crickets. You can also keep them out by making your home less appealing to them. Use a dehumidifier and fans in damp and infrequently used areas of your home, like the basement and garage. This will keep the humidity levels down so that camel crickets seek shelter elsewhere.

If you aren’t sure how to keep camel crickets from getting inside, or if they keep getting in despite your best efforts, ask Russell’s Pest Control for help. We have the experience to help you identify these creepy-crawly creatures, and we know how to keep them outside. Our pest control treatment plans are effective and personalized, so you won’t ever have to see these scary pests again.

Stop Boxelder Bugs From Staying In Your Knoxville Walls All Winter

Stop Boxelder Bugs From Staying In Your Knoxville Walls All Winter

With the sun setting a bit earlier every evening and the temperature getting ever cooler, winter is settling into Knoxville. If you’re like most people, you’re probably busy with holiday preparations. Unfortunately, while you deck the halls, it’s very possible that boxelder bugs are hiding in the walls. Here’s what you need to know to stop them.

What Boxelder Bugs Look Like

Boxelder bugs have long, flat, oval-shaped bodies and small heads. They are black with reddish-orange markings. Growing to about the length of a dime, boxelder bugs have six legs and two long antennae.

What Attracts Boxelder Bugs Homes

Boxelder bugs spend the hot summer months outdoors. When fall arrives and the temperatures start to get cooler, they make their way to south-facing walls and congregate together in the sun. Over time, they find their way inside Knoxville homes through small cracks and crevices. They then spend the coldest months of the year overwintering inside wall voids and other areas.

When Boxelder Bugs are Active in Your Knoxville Home

Although you often won’t see boxelder bugs in your Knoxville home in the winter, it doesn’t mean they’re not there. Typically they come out in early spring when the weather gets warm in order to return to their host trees outdoors.

However, many people discover they have a boxelder bug problem in mid-winter. Within the warm confines of your walls, boxelder bugs can sometimes be tricked on an unseasonably warm day into thinking that it’s time to come out of hiding. If you suddenly start seeing boxelder bugs congregating near your windows in the middle of winter, it means that they think it’s spring. It also means that you are likely to have problems with these pests for months to come. If they can’t find their way outside, they’ll search your house for food and water.

What to Do if Boxelder Bugs Get in Your Knoxville Home

The first thing to do if you discover boxelder bugs in your home is to take a deep breath. The good news is that boxelder bugs are not dangerous. They can leave reddish stains on your furniture or curtains with their fecal matter and they give off an unpleasant odor when squashed, but they won’t hurt you.

But you can’t simply leave it at that. No one wants to deal with pesky bugs all the time and if any of them end up dying in your wall voids, they could attract other pests, which will lead to bigger problems.

There are some steps you can take to get rid of the bugs you see in your house and to prevent future infestations.

  • Vacuum up the boxelder bugs that you find in your house. This will help you avoid the smell of squashing them. Make sure to remove the vacuum bag from the vacuum and from your house when you’re done so that they don’t escape.
  • Seal up any openings you can find inside your house. Look for cracks or gaps in your walls and baseboards, window and door frames, etc.
  • Seal openings around the outside of your house, including cracks, gaps, crevices, and holes in your siding, foundation, windows, and doors.
  • Call the professionals at Russell’s Pest Control. We can eliminate your boxelder bug problem completely, while ensuring that the elimination process will not cause future pest problems.Don’t spend your winter battling boxelder bugs. Contact Russell’s Pest Control and let us take care of the problem for you.

Why Are There Ladybugs In My Knoxville House In December?

Why Are There Ladybugs In My Knoxville House In December?

Ladybugs are beautiful insects that have inspired artists for hundreds of years. When they appear on a flower in your landscaping or on a plant in your garden, they are a welcome sight. These insects help to eliminate plant-damaging insects such as aphids, scale insects and whiteflies. Their efforts to control insects that damage plants have a wider impact as well because many pest insects feed on the honeydew created by aphids, scales and whiteflies. But when ladybugs appear in your home, they can be an unwelcome sight, especially if you’re seeing dozens or hundreds of them during the winter months. Here are some reasons why you’re seeing those little ladies and how you can protect yourself from fall pests like ladybugs.

“Why do I have a lot of ladybugs in my house?”

When temperatures drop, ladybugs congregate on sun-warmed surfaces. They also cling to screens where they sense heat radiating out of a home. When they climb on a home, they often find entry points. Some common entry points for ladybugs are:

  • Holes in window and door screens.
  • Gaps in the weatherstripping around doors and between sliding glass doors.
  • Holes in frames or wood that are created by wood-chewing pests.
  • Cracks in foundation walls, especially around basement windows.
  • Damaged seals around door and window frames.
  • Damaged door sweeps.
  • Gaps around pipes and PVC wire conduit.
  • Chipped mortar on brick homes.
  • Gaps in soffits, fascia, and roof edges.
  • Gaps between chimneys and exterior walls.
  • Holes created by roof rats, squirrels, raccoons and other wildlife that can get on your roof.
  • Doors or windows left open and unprotected.

Another reason you may have ladybugs in your house is that you have lots of vegetation around your home. The more vegetation you have, the more plant-damaging insects you’ll have. This will attract ladybugs. Investing in a residential pest control plan can have an impact on a wide range of insects around your home, including the insects that are food for ladybugs.

Other Questions You May Have About Ladybugs

“Is a ladybug a ladybird beetle?”

If you’ve been told that ladybugs are called ladybird beetles, this is true. But ladybird beetle is more appropriate if you are in England where the term has been used for more than half a century to describe these beetles. The lady to whom the name is referring is the virgin Mary, who was depicted wearing a red cloak in early paintings. The lady beetles indigenous to the United States are more properly called ladybugs.

“Can ladybugs bite you?”

Yes. Ladybugs can bite and they can cause a sharp pain. But ladybugs rarely bite. There is, however, another lady beetle in the U.S. that is prone to biting. It is called the Asian lady beetle.

“What is the difference between ladybugs and Asian lady beetles?”

Asian lady beetles are far more aggressive than ladybugs. This is one of the reasons they are far more plentiful now. You’re more likely to have an infestation of these beetles than you are to have ladybugs in your Tennessee home. You can tell them apart by the black M pattern on the back of the Asian lady beetle.

“Is a ladybug a male or female?”

This is just a little fun fact. While you might expect all ladybugs to be ladies, they are not. There are also “gents” in the ladybug population.

What to Do About Asian lady beetles and Ladybugs

While ladybugs are far more docile than Asian lady beetles, it is not fun to have bugs in your home. If you live in the Greater Knoxville area, contact Russell’s Pest Control for assistance ridding your home of these and other unwanted guests. We’re always standing by to help.