Plumbing Problems & Pest Infestations

Cockroaches are attracted to leaks in Knoxville TN homes - Russell's Pest Control

Discovering a leak in your home can be a nightmare. Discovering pests like termites or cockroaches can be even worse! The bad news is that these two instances usually go hand in hand. Pests are very drawn to areas with a lot of excess moisture, which is why they’re frequently. So, when you have a leaky faucet or a broken pipe, you can be sure you’re inadvertently creating a haven for pest activity. For this reason, it’s important to always be on the lookout for leaky pipes or issues in your home if you want to prevent pest problems as well. The experts at Russell’s Pest Control are here to tell you everything you need to know about leaky pipes and pests in your Knoxville TN home.

Water: A Pest’s Best Friend

Water is one of the main pest attractants. While most need water just for survival, many others are drawn to the environment caused by excess moisture. The four most common pests that are known to dwell in areas with excess moisture are as follows:

  • Termites: If a broken pipe has caused water damage in the very structure of your home, you can be sure termites are to follow. Subterranean termites in particular are attracted to moist wood and soil. When there are unattended-to leaky pipes or plumbing issues, you could be leaving your home vulnerable to termites.
  • Ants: These tiny pests will appear seemingly out of nowhere when excess moisture is abundant. Leaky faucets or spilled water from a pet’s bowl can bring ants out in the hundreds. In addition to your typical house ant, water can be a main attractant to the wood-destroying carpenter ant as well.
  • Cockroaches: Roaches may be known for their resiliency, but they aren’t as strong as you’d think. Without water for a week, a roach will not survive. Cockroaches also love to linger inside of pipes and plumbing fixtures. An issue can quickly introduce roaches into other parts of the house.
  • Rodents: Rats and mice alike are always looking for a water supply. Leaky pipes or broken faucets in your crawl space or laundry room can provide a haven for rodents. The last thing you want is rodents scurrying around when you have a plumbing issue, making it important to prevent them.

How to Prevent Pests When Leaks Happen

In order to prevent pest problems in your home, you need to know how to prevent the conditions that would attract them in the first place! Here’s how:

  1. Regularly inspect to ensure your faucets aren’t dripping, your drains aren’t clogging, and there are no leaks from your fridge, washing machine, or dishwasher.
  2. If there are problems, get them fixed right away with the help of a licensed professional.
  3. Consider running a dehumidifier in areas of your home that are more prone to moisture!

Need Help Getting Rid of Pests After a Leak?

Whether you’re already dealing with pest infestations that resulted from a plumbing leak in your home, or you want to prevent pests altogether, the experts at Russell’s Pest Control can help—contact us today!

Wolf Spiders in Knoxville: Giants In The House

Wolf spider in Knoxville TN - Russell's Pest Control

Here in Knoxville, one spider in particular is making people call us left and right. If people in East Tennessee are calling us about spiders of alarming size, they probably have wolf spiders. There are more than 200 members of this spider family in North America, and they can range in size from half an inch to over four inches (including the legs, of course). Thankfully, the wolf spiders in our area are usually no more than an inch or two wide. Nonetheless, no one wants to encounter these spiders inside or outside their home. The experts at Russell’s Pest Control are here to share everything you need to know about

What Are Wolf Spiders?

Wolf spiders, in general, have a startling appearance. Like many spiders, wolves have four sets of round eyes arrayed across their heads. One of those sets happens to be front and center on their “faces,” which gives people the uncomfortable feeling that these spiders are looking at them (this is, of course, not true since spider vision is fairly poor and is mostly used to track shadows and movement). These are thick, dense spiders with sturdy, hairy legs. The broad, dark bands on their bodies make them stick out from across the room and can startle people very easily.

Something that is really upsetting to people is wolf spider hatching habits. They carry their egg sacs on their backs until the young are ready to hatch. At the right time, the mother spider opens the sac and allows the babies to crawl onto her back so that she can carry them around in relative safety for a couple of weeks. When the mother is squashed, dozens of tiny (and previously unnoticed) young will flee from her back, which almost always causes surprised homeowners to panic.

Are Wolf Spiders Dangerous?

Like all spiders, wolf spiders are predators; their main concern is hunting food. Unlike most spiders, they do not spin a web to help them capture their prey. Instead, they utilize their speed and large size to allow them to catch and overpower insects for their meals. This fearless hunter tendency creates a lot of the problems that humans have with wolf spiders.

Wolf spiders come across as very aggressive. They won’t seek out a fight with humans, but they will not necessarily scuttle off and try to hide in terror if cornered. It is not uncommon for a wolf spider to turn and charge you if you try to sneak up on one with a shoe. This makes them seem more vicious than they really are. Although a wolf spider is not afraid to deliver a bite if it can, humans have little to fear from these arachnids. Even a bite spiked with venom is unlikely to produce pain as strong as a bee sting, and allergies to their venom are rare.

How to Get Rid of Wolf Spiders in Knoxville

If you have a lot of wolf spiders or any spider for that matter, that’s likely because you have lots of other bugs providing a food source for them. Many times, this food source may be in a cluttered garage, and the spiders accidentally make it inside through cracks or open doors. Wood piles or debris against the house can also create habitats for just the sorts of creatures that wolf spiders like to eat. Either way, you’ll have to deal with the prey before you deal with the predators (which are really just trying to do you a favor by getting rid of your other bug problems).

If you are still dealing with excess spider problems, whether they’re wolf spiders or another type, the spider exterminators at Russell’s Pest Control can help! Our team can help pinpoint where spiders may be getting indoors, and implement spider prevention methods to keep them away. Contact us today!

Are Cockroaches Nocturnal?

Cockroaches at night in Knoxville TN - Russell's Pest Control

No one wants to encounter a cockroach in their home. The truth is that you may have cockroaches in your home, but never see them whatsoever. This is because roaches are indeed nocturnal creatures. Roaches typically shield themselves from the light of day, and hunt for food overnight. If you happen to encounter roaches in the daytime, then, it’s a bad sign you already have a serious infestation on your hands.

Whether you think you have a roach infestation or not, it’s important to learn about the unique behavior and schedule of cockroaches. The experts at Russell’s Pest Control are here to share everything you need to know.

Cockroaches at Night

Similar to other animals and insects, roaches possess a unique circadian rhythm that includes a resting period. In one study, it was proven that roaches have three states of activity: a period of locomotion, a period of limb or antennae movement but no locomotion, and a period of immobility. Under normal light conditions (light during the day and dark overnight), cockroaches were only active at night, typically during the period right before midnight. There was little activity during the early morning hours, and roaches were found to rest during the daytime.

Roaches During the Day

If you spot even a couple of roaches running around during the day inside your home, you may be in bad luck. Here’s what that could implicate:

  • You have a serious cockroach infestation already underway.
  • Cockroaches have been forced out of their typical hiding places due to a lack of resources.
  • Artificial light can sometimes disorient roaches, encouraging them to come out in the daytime.

Where Do Cockroaches Hide in My Home?

Cockroaches prefer to stay in the shade, which is why they dwell in the darker areas around your home. Roaches are often found in bathrooms, basements, and crawl spaces. However, if there is a serious infestation, many other areas can become a roach’s new home: under the appliances in your kitchen, underneath sinks, inside light switches, or amongst boxes in your attic or garage. If you stumble upon them during the day by moving an object, they will likely run for cover.

Cockroaches in Knoxville Homes

If you are noticing roaches during the daytime, it’s time to contact your local cockroach control experts. At Russell’s Pest Control, our team works hard to get rid of the pests and keep them away for good. We can help implement prevention methods to make sure roaches aren’t running around your house at night ever again. Contact us today to get started!

How Are Carpenter Bees Different?

What carpenter bees look like in Knoxville TN - Russell's Pest Control

Painful stings are the first thing that comes to mind for many people when bees are brought up. Not all bees are out to hurt us, though—many species of bees are quite gentle and are too busy pollinating plants to bother us. One downside to their help beautifying our yards is that they have to make their home somewhere. Some bees nest in the ground or build hives in trees, but carpenter bees prefer to drill holes in the wooden structures of our houses. So, how can you tell if you have carpenter bees?

What Do Carpenter Bees Look Like?

Carpenter bees might be tricky to differentiate from honey bees and bumblebees at first, but with a little practice, you will be able to tell the difference. Here are three physical signs that the bees around your home are carpenter bees:

  1. Carpenter bees are larger than other bees. They can be anywhere from 1/2” to 1” long.
  2. Their abdomen is shiny and hairless, as opposed to the fuzzy bumblebee. It is also stark black, not yellow and black like a honey bee.
  3. You will often see them flying around up higher, around the roofing or awnings of your home. Bumblebees and honey bees are usually lower to the ground, closer to the flowers.

One tricky thing about identifying carpenter bees is that they are pollinators, too. They will also be found in your flower beds. It’s important to keep other indicators in mind.

What Do Carpenter Bees Do?

Instead of building hives with hundreds of bees, the more solitary carpenter bees prefer to bore holes into softwood. The female carpenter bee will lay her eggs in small pockets dug out in her tunnel and guard the area fiercely. In fact, the only time carpenter bees display aggressive behavior is when they believe that their young could be in danger.

Carpenter bees will create tunnels in any wood that they find suitable, so any wooden surface on the exterior of your home could be liable for carpenter bee tunneling. Their holes are very small, just big enough for the bee to get through, and almost look as precise as if they were drilled. Since the bees don’t actually eat the wood, you’ll likely find little piles of sawdust and pollen where carpenter bees have bored.

How Do You Get Rid of Carpenter Bees?

Luckily, carpenter bees don’t cause structural damage to homes very easily. If you let your carpenter bee population grow out of control, though, you might fear for the safety of your wooden structures. If you need your carpenter bees safely removed from your house, call your local pest control company. The bee removal experts at Russell’s Pest Control are trained to use the most humane and efficient methods available to remove bees, wasps, and hornets all around Knoxville TN. If you need stinging insects removed today, contact us for a free quote!

Does a Wasp Die After It Stings You?

What paper wasps look like in Knoxville TN - Russell's Pest Control

Bees have many unique quirks and character traits. Beyond their intricate communication style and their profound environmental importance, another interesting fact about bees is that they can only sting once in their life. This leads many people to ask: can wasps only sting once, too?

Despite their apparent similarities, wasps are actually quite different. Unlike bees, wasps can sting multiple times on many targets throughout their life. Keep reading to learn more about the differences between wasp vs bee stings.

Wasp Stings vs Bee Stings—What’s the Difference?

One wasp sting can be comparable in pain to a bee sting. However, one wasp sting can easily be accompanied by many more. When you are stung by a bee, on the other hand, its barbed stinger latches into your skin, ripping out part of the bee’s digestive tract that it is attached to. This causes the bee to die shortly after it stings you.

Wasps’ stingers remain attached to their bodies after they sting. The stinger looks like a small needle, and the wasp uses it to inject venom into their victim. The venom is designed to paralyze small insects so that they can bring them back to their nest, but also to convince large predators not to mess with them.

What Causes Wasps to Sting?

A wasp will sting someone when they think that their nest is being threatened. The problem with this is that they are easily provoked, and they release a pheromone that alerts nearby wasps to come help deal with the threat. This results in many people experiencing multiple wasp stings at a time. When a swarm of wasps targets you, the effects can be very serious. Multiple wasp sting symptoms include:

  • Welts, hives, and rashes
  • Fever, nausea, and headache
  • Painful bumps
  • Joint swelling
  • In extreme cases, death

Wasp Nest Removal Services in Knoxville TN

Wasp nests are built out of chewed-up wood and look like layered formations of gray paper. If you find that wasps have constructed a nest somewhere around your home, let the experts at your local pest control company know. Our wasp removal specialists at Russell’s Pest Control are trained to remove bee, wasp, and hornet nests using the safest and most humane methods possible. Reach out today for a free estimate on wasp nest removal!

Little Black Ants In Tennessee

A little black ant found in Knoxville TN - Russell's Pest Control

Having a huge trail of ants appear in the house out of nowhere seems like a universal experience. Little black ants appear to move by the hundreds, and more often than not, it can be difficult to discern where they are coming from. So, how do little black ants get in, and what can we do to stop them? Read on for Russell’s Pest Control’s expert advice on ant prevention and control in Knoxville TN.

Why Are There Little Black Ants in My House?

Any ant colony produces worker ants that are constantly on the lookout for accessible food sources to nourish their colony with. When they stumble upon one, they will emit pheromones that signal to other worker ants that there is food nearby. Little black ants aren’t very picky eaters, but they do know what they like. They are often found around these foods:

  • Meats
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Grains
  • Sweet foods containing simple sugars

With that said, little black ants will eat just about anything that is left out for easy access.

How To Control Ants On Your Own

It can be a nightmare to try to get rid of ants once they’ve established themselves inside your home. This means that the most effective method of ant control is properly preventing them in the first place. You can follow these steps to decrease your chances of ant issues:

  1. After eating, seal and store your food and wash your dishes right away.
  2. Clean up spills as soon as they happen.
  3. Inspect your house for cracks in the walls or gaps by windows and doors.
  4. Spray diluted essential oils in places that might attract ants (lemon juice and peppermint oil both prevent ants).

Preventing Little Black Ants in Knoxville TN

If your house is currently being overtaken by little black ants, using an EPA-approved ant control spray could work as a temporary solution to your problem. However, long-term ant control requires routine attention and consistent habits. For reliable ant control that can tackle even the largest infestations in Knoxville TN, you should reach out to your local pest control company. The ant extermination experts at Russell’s Pest Control can use sprays, traps, baits, and other exclusion efforts to locate the source of your infestation and put it to a stop. Contact us today for a free quote!

Camel Crickets – Everything You Need To Know

Camel crickets in Knoxville TN - Russell's Pest Control

Most people have never heard of camel crickets. The truth is that most of us have probably encountered a camel cricket or two dozen in our lives, we just weren’t aware of what the creepy thing we were facing was exactly. A camel cricket is a part of the cricket family that has similarities to a spider in looks. In fact, many people will refer to this pest as a “spricket” or spider-cricket. In more formal terms, it is part of the Rhaphidophoridae family and has 6 legs with the two legs in the back being longer, two antennae, and a hump-shaped back.

Although relatively harmless, camel crickets can become a nuisance pest in homes because they feed on cloth and fabrics. For this reason, it’s important to learn how to identify camel crickets, as well as prevent them. The experts at Russell’s Pest Control are here to help—read on to learn all you need to know about these pests!

What Are Camel Crickets?

These pests prefer to live in dark wet environments. You will most often find them in basements, garages, greenhouses, sheds – anywhere where there is moisture and vegetation. They are essentially scavengers and will eat anything. And by anything, we are talking fungi on basement walls, scraps of food, rotting trash, fabric, dead animals and insects, feces, even each other! In this regard, they can be considered an asset as they will clean up the disgusting things found in your dank basement or garage. However, they can be a nuisance as they will chew through cloth and fabric like a moth.

Camel crickets are actually harmless to humans. They don’t bite, they don’t make noises like normal crickets, they don’t fly, and do not spread illness or disease. In order to defend themselves, they use their longer back legs to leap at their predators. The bad thing about this is that they may consider you a predator and leap at you, which can be somewhat terrifying for anyone.

How to Get Rid of Camel Crickets

While they aren’t harmful, no one wants to deal with camel crickets inside their home. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can get rid of these pests as well as keep them from coming back:

  1. Waterproof your basement, garage, and storage areas.
  2. Run a dehumidifier in damp areas of your home.
  3. Seal windows and cracks to prevent insects from getting in.
  4. Clean up and remove debris and other food sources, including pet food.
  5. Spray cracks and corners with natural peppermint oil.
  6. Set sticky traps, or homemade duct tape traps.

Need Help With Camel Crickets in Knoxville TN?

If you’ve done all you can to prevent camel crickets and are still noticing camel cricket activity, it’s time to turn to the experts. At Russell’s Pest Control, our pest control experts will work to determine what’s causing the camel cricket problem to begin with. From there, we can help you eliminate camel crickets with either a one-time service or can provide you with year-round protection with regular services. To get rid of camel crickets for good, contact us today!

Safe Tick Removal Tips

Tweezers are used to safely remove a tick - Russell's Pest Control in Knoxville TN

Here in Knoxville, we are used to dealing with a number of pests in the spring and summertime. Few pose more of a threat than ticks, who are infamous for carrying and potentially spreading Lyme disease. While this disease is rare, it’s nonetheless important to learn how to protect yourself from tick bites. When removed in the first 24 hours, the risk of tick-borne illnesses is low. For this reason, time is of the essence. With May being National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, the team at Russell’s Pest Control is here with their top tips for safe tick removal.

Tick-Borne Diseases

Ticks don’t only spread Lyme disease, and certain types of ticks transmit other diseases. For example, dog ticks transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, but not Lyme disease. Deer ticks, also known as blacklegged ticks, are the species known to transmit Lyme disease. These tiny parasitic insects can and will attach to any part of the body but are often found in the groin, scalp, and armpits.

Thankfully, the chances of contracting a tick-borne disease is low when the tick is safely removed within the first 24 hours of the bite. It is only when an infected tick has been attached for 36–48 hours can the bacterium be transmitted. Knowing how to promptly and safely remove ticks, then, is essential to stopping the transmission of Lyme disease.

Tick removal guide - Russell's Pest Control in Knoxville TNSteps For Safe Tick Removal

When you are bitten by a tick, it’s important to act quickly to remove it. Thankfully, you can typically do this right at home with a pair of fine-tipped tweezers. This method, backed by the CDC, is proven to safely and effectively remove ticks:

  • Firmly grasp the head or mouth of the tick with your tweezers, as close to the skin as possible. Avoid grasping the tick’s body to the best of your ability, as this could inject the tick’s blood into the skin.
  • Steadily pull the tick outward in a straight motion. Try to not twist the tweezers, as this could dislodge the head, leaving it embedded in your skin.
  • After the tick is removed, carefully clean the area of the bite, as well as your hands, with soap and water.
  • To safely dispose of the tick, place it in a sealed bag or jar with alcohol. Another option is to flush the tick down the toilet. Do not crush the tick.

If you notice a rash or other symptoms developing after a tick bite, immediately see your doctor.

Safe Tick Removal Services in Knoxville TN

Ticks are an important pest to keep in mind in the spring and summertime in our region. By knowing how to prevent a tick bite as well as how to remove a tick when you are bitten, you can stay safe from the dangers they pose. Learn more by contacting the experts at Russell’s Pest Control today!

After 17 years, Brood-X Cicadas are About to Surface

What cicadas will look like around Knoxville TN - Russel's Pest Control

At some point during the latter part of May, hundreds of billions of cicadas are going to emerge from the earth and take to the air.

Some people are freaked out and frightened by this generational event, but many others travel from across the United States to watch it all unfold! However it makes you feel, we can all agree it might be one of the most fascinating natural unfoldings that we have ever seen.

What Is a Cicada?

Cicadas are insects that hatch above ground, but quickly burrow into the earth and don’t reemerge for over a decade. A generation of cicadas emerges from the ground either every 17 years or every 13 years, depending on the brood. Brood X last emerged in 2004 and is gearing up to come back to the surface this May in areas all over the eastern part of the country.

You’ll be able to tell that something new is afoot by their unequivocal noises, but here are a few extra ways to tell cicadas apart from other insects:

  • Cicadas have small black bodies and two sets of long, clear wings, lined with orange markings.
  • Newly hatched cicadas, called nymphs, are light brown with a stumpier body.
  • There will be an incredible magnitude of new insects introduced to our environment, so you will be able to tell them apart by their incredible population size.
  • You will hear piercing, scream-like sounds that can even surpass 100 decibels in volume, similar to an ATV or a chainsaw.

What You Need to Know about Cicadas

Male cicadas are the ones that keep you up at night with their screeches. This is a mating call, and they create it through a lightning-fast repetition that flexes muscles in their abdomen. These devices are called tymbals, and they are specialized noise-making devices found in many insects. Cicadas amplify the noise beyond 20x its original volume by allowing it to reverberate in their bodies.

When a male cicada finds a mate, they will reproduce, dying shortly after. Female cicadas lay their eggs in treetops, and once the nymphs hatch, they make their way down to the ground to burrow in the dirt and look for tree roots to feed on.

Are Cicadas Dangerous?

It’s understandable that some people think that cicadas are dangerous – they mysteriously arise from the ground after many years in a screeching swarm of billions. Although their appearance can be frightening, the most damage that cicadas will do is some moderate destruction of tree roots as they feed. They actually serve as a delightful new food source for many kinds of animals and nourish trees in their area with necessary oxygen when their bodies decay.

What To Do About Cicadas in Knoxville TN

If you’re the kind of person that just can’t handle bugs or loud noises, the return of Brood X will not be fun. Unfortunately, there’s really not a lot that a pest control company can do to cicada-proof your house. There are simply too many of them to keep under control. Using bug spray on cicadas won’t even put a tiny dent in their numbers, and will probably poison the animals that prey on them.

That being said, if you’re experiencing a pest outbreak on your property, contact our experts at Russell’s Pest Control. We train our specialists to the newest standards of efficiency and environmental awareness, and we will routinely send technicians until your home is pest-free*. Contact us today for a free quote!

How Tennessee Residents Can Keep Their Yards Mosquito-Free This Summer

Mosquito found in Knoxville TN - Russell's Pest Control

Have you ever wondered why there are so many mosquitoes all over Tennessee? We happen to have ideal breeding conditions for them for about half of the year, starting as early as March and lasting into October. They can make use of even the tiniest spaces as breeding grounds, and their speedy reproductive cycle means that there will always be a quick turnaround of mosquito populations until it gets too cold. So how do we go about stopping them from living in our yards?

What Are Mosquitoes Attracted To?

To understand how to best repel mosquitoes, it is beneficial to know what they’re attracted to. Since their reproductive process is so fast, you’ll generally find mosquitoes around still water, which is where they lay their eggs. Mosquitoes make use of many different sources of standing water to breed, both natural and man-made. Look for tiny rafts of mosquito eggs in:

  • Ponds
  • Pools
  • Spas
  • Buckets
  • Gutters
  • Birdbaths
  • Anywhere else that rainwater collects

Mosquitoes are most active during dawn and dusk and tend to rest in protected places during the night and midday. If you have densely wooded areas of lots of shady trees around your home, you’re likely to experience a mosquito outbreak.

DIY Mosquito Repellent

So what can you do on your own to keep mosquitoes out of your yard? There are a number of DIY mosquito repellent options, and some work better than others. Here are three preventative measures that we consider to be the best options for Tennessee residents:

  1. Cover or pour out any standing water. If you have a pool or spa, keep it covered whenever it’s not in use so mosquitoes don’t lay their eggs on the water. Also, routinely inspect your yard for stagnant water that has collected.
  2. Keep your yard tidy. Keeping mosquitoes away means limiting the places that they might want to hang out in your yard. Make sure your trees and bushes are trimmed down.
  3. Set up equipment to deter mosquitoes. Depending on your yard and the severity of your problem, this could mean mosquito traps, mosquito nets, window and door screens, or fans. Some people like to use citronella candles as a natural mosquito repellent, but we find that they aren’t effective for more than a couple of hours.

Professional Mosquito Control in Knoxville TN

If your DIY tactics aren’t getting the job done, you can trust in your local mosquito extermination experts to remove them from your yard. At Russell’s Pest Control, we train our mosquito specialists to cater their approach to the unique situations they find in every yard. We use a variety of treatment methods, all of which employ strategies and products that are up to the latest standards of environmental awareness. If you have a mosquito outbreak in your yard, contact us today for a free quote!