What Are Camel Crickets And Why Are They In My House?

What Are Camel Crickets And Why Are They In My House?

Camel crickets. What an interesting name. These interesting little creatures resemble a cross between a cricket, mosquito and a spider. They are also known as “sprickets”, or spider crickets and also cave crickets. They are usually brown in color and have two long back legs, like a cricket, but they also have six other legs that make it so they can be mistaken as a spider. Upon a closer look, their body and torso resemble a stinger-less or mouthless mosquito. With so many different insects on this earth, why are we concerned with these guys?

First of all, they can be very invasive. These small creatures will enter your home through small cracks and crevices and head for your basement. They like dark and damp environments. They feed on almost anything, but usually organic things like:

  • Plant decay
  • Grass
  • Fruit seedling plants
  • Fungi (found on your basement walls)
  • Other dead insects

While their diet is diverse, their choice of the perfect living environment is specific. You can find them not only in your basement or dark out buildings, but they are also found in other areas such as:

  • Shower or laundry areas
  • Compost heaps
  • Rotten logs, tree stumps or hollow trees
  • Under damp leaves, stones or boards.
  • Around sewers, gutters and landscaping drainage

These tiny bugs pose no real threat to humans or our pets but they are a nuisance to have around. They will come up from your basement and congregate in the corners of your rooms looking for a meal of spiders or other insects. They are also in search of a quiet, moist and dark place to lay their eggs. Here are a few general tips to help keep them out of your home:

  • Repair all cracks and crevices in your basement or crawl space walls
  • Be sure to seal around all utility entrances into your home
  • Keep shrubbery and trees trimmed back away from the walls of your home
  • Routinely ‘air’ out dark and damp places in your home

These crickets are very good at gaining entry into your home. Once you have a camel cricket problem in your home, it is quite difficult to get them out. If you have some living in your home and you can’t seem to rid yourself of them, then it’s certainly time to call the Knoxville pest control professionals.  Contact Russell’s Pest Control and get these invasive nuisances out!

Think Outside The Box When It Comes To Boxelder Bugs

Think Outside The Box When It Comes To Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder bugs are those little half inch dark colored bugs with large red striped wings. Even though they are harmless, they are definitely a nuisance. These guys are interesting little creatures. Here is some information on them and some tips on how to prevent them from over-wintering in your house this year.

Boxelder bugs are primarily found on boxelder trees. But they do like maple and ash trees too. These tree and plant eating bugs are sometimes confused with the ‘stink bug’ because they can emit an odor to defer predators. Thankfully, they are no threat to humans or animals. Since they do not like the cold, they will try to find a place to ‘over-winter’ near warmth. Unfortunately, this place can be in your home, attic, garage, and basement or under your siding. Sometimes they will emerge from their hiding spots when furnaces warm the house up because they are confused and are thinking that spring has sprung. They will wander about your home looking for food, water and a place to lay their eggs. In the spring, when it is truly time for them to leave their winter hibernation, they will lay their eggs on maple or ash trees.

Here are a few tips to help keep boxelder bugs from coming into your home for the winter:

  • Repair or replace window and door screens that have any damage or tears.

  • Check all weatherstripping that is around door and windows.

  • Fill any cracks and crevices in your basement walls.

  • Check thresholds and frames for gaps and fill appropriately.

  • Check all vents (soffit, gable, attic, dryer, HVAC) and repair or replace insect screening as needed.

  • Fill all cracks and holes in and around window and door frames.

  • Keep gutter and water removal systems running properly to divert water away from your home.

Although boxelders are just a nuisance pest, no one wants them moving in for the winter. Try these simple steps to help proof your house against them. If you want professional boxelder bug control, don’t hesitate to give us a call at Russell’s Pest Control.  We will help you to think outside the box to keep the boxelder bugs outside!

Tips For Pest Prevention During The Holidays

As families get into the holiday spirit, digging out decorations and unpacking strands of twinkling lights, it is important to be aware of unwanted guests. Pests can make their way into your home via boxes of ornaments, fresh-cut Christmas trees, wreathes and even firewood.

Ants and spiders can easily hide in the branches of trees and crevices of firewood, while mice can chew through cardboard boxes of decorations that have been stored away since last season. Unfortunately, these pests can pose serious health threats, from food contamination to the spread of disease, should they find a way inside.

Russell’s Pest Control advises homeowners to carefully inspect these items for pests before bringing them inside the home. Here are some tips The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recommends during the holidays:

  • Inspect live, fresh-cut, evergreen trees, wreathes and garlands for spiders, insect nests or eggs before purchasing. Shake greenery outdoors to remove any pests before bringing them inside.

  • Unpack decorations outdoors so pests aren’t released into the home. Repack decorations in durable, sealed containers that pests can’t chew through.

  • Store firewood at least 20 feet from the home on a raised structure, such as concrete blocks or poles.

  • If you suspect a pest infestation in your home, contact a licensed pest professional to inspect, identify and treat the problem.

Keep Pests From Haunting The House This Halloween

f you watch the local news, you may have seen the pest control industry got a fair amount of attention this fall since the overwintering pests like stink bugs caused more than their fair share of trouble (and are likely to continue to do so in the spring). It’s always good to have a reminder about the important steps you can take to pest-proof your home each season.  Check out a our recent press release below.

KEEP PESTS FROM HAUNTING THE HOUSE THIS HALLOWEEN

Knoxville, TN, October 2013 – Ghosts, goblins, and witches won’t be the only creatures trying to spook homeowners this Halloween. Russell’s Pest Control advises people to be on the lookout for real-life ghoulish pests lurking around neighborhoods, including rodents, bats and spiders.

“As the temperature continues to drop, many of these creepy critters will seek respite from the winter chill – often within the confines our homes,” said Mark Nadolski, Owner/General Manager for the Russell’s Pest Control. “Once inside, rodents and other pests can do more than just provide their fair share of scares. They are capable of contaminating food, spreading disease and posing a threat to our property.”

Rodents can spread salmonella and hantavirus and create fire hazards by gnawing through electrical wires in the home. Bats are frequent carriers of rabies, which is potentially fatal if left untreated, and some species of spiders can administer a painful bite when disturbed.

To keep these pests from haunting the house this Halloween, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recommends the following tips:

  • Seal any cracks or crevices with caulk and steel wool. Pay special attention to holes in the structure that lead to dark secluded areas, like attics and belfries.

  • Screen attic vents and openings to chimney.

  • Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair damaged screens.

  • Eliminate sources of moisture, especially in crawl spaces and basements.

  • Inspect items such as boxes, grocery bags and other packages brought into the home.

  • Store food in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly.

  • If you suspect a pest infestation in your home, contact a licensed pest professional to inspect and treat the pest problem.

For more information on common household pests and how to protect your home, please contact us today!

Why You Need Foundation Vents

The weather is starting to warm up, but the spring pests are still held at bay for a while. We thought that while the season is still a bit chilly, we could discuss another important aspect to home maintenance that pest control companies find very important. Today, we’ll take a look at the importance of foundation vents for crawlspaces.

If your home is on a crawlspace, then you’ve likely noticed vents around the foundation, even if you weren’t sure how they work. Foundation vents are important because, in East Tennessee, there’s plenty of humidity, particularly in the warmer months. That air moisture gets into your crawlspace as it comes up from the damp ground. If your crawlspace isn’t vented correctly, the moisture will likely lead to major problems under your house, ranging from standing water to mold or fungus on your support beams. Crawlspace mold is a common problem in this area, and one that will make your home quite difficult to sell.

Foundation vents help to improve crawlspace conditions by allowing the humidity to get out from under the house in the warm months and by holding good, dry heat in during the cold months. There are three types of foundation vents.

  • Manual Vents – These are your basic models that are probably installed on most houses when they’re built. They are fairly inexpensive, and you can purchase newer models or replacements at any home improvement store. They are fairly simple to install yourself. The disadvantage is that you are responsible for remembering them throughout the year. You should close them in the winter to hold in heat (which could lower your bills significantly) and open them as soon as the cold weather starts to break.

  • Temperature Vents – These vents are an upgrade from the manual version. They are still easy to find at a retail store, and you should be able to install them yourself if you don’t mind spending some time in the crawlspace. Their greatest advantage, however, is that they have a temperature-sensitive coil at their center that tells them when to open and close. Then, you don’t have to remember, and they can react to day-to-day weather conditions. Of course, they will cost a little more than manual vents.

  • Power Vents – These are for crawlspaces that have major problems with moisture. If you have standing water under your house, you likely need a power vent. They don’t just allow air to move in and out naturally; they have an attached fan that sucks fresh air in and, consequently, forces moist air out. The fan is controlled by a humidistat, which tells the unit to run when the air in the crawlspace is too moist. You can buy these, but they will be much harder for you to install alone. They often require special duct work to keep the air flowing effectively, and you will need an electrician to install a power source in your crawlspace to run the fan. These are obviously the most expensive of the three types, but fortunately, even particularly damp crawls are likely to need only one or two of these in addition to standard vents.

If you’re not sure what kind of foundation vents you have or if they are venting your crawl space well enough, you can always contact us here or call us today. Russell’s Pest Control can do a free inspection and can purchase and install vents if crawlspaces aren’t for you. We take crawlspace moisture very seriously since dampness attracts all kinds of insects, particularly termites. Need more information or clarification? You can respond to this post and ask any questions you might have, or you can always give us a call.