How Russell’s Pest Control Protects Homes In Eastern Tennessee From Termites

How Russell’s Pest Control Protects Homes In Eastern Tennessee From Termites

Tennesse is home to what might be the most destructive insect pest that walks the earth, namely subterranean termites. These silent wood destroyers are responsible for over $5 billion dollars in prevention and repair costs every year, in the United States alone.

Termite damage can occur in a variety of areas where wood is present. It is important to know what types of wood termites invade. This includes wooden fencing in your yard, and wooden studs in your walls, of which you might not see the damage until the wood starts to crumble. Termites can eat away at your exterior wood siding and window shutters. This might look like wavy mazes of eaten wood and/or holes that go right through the wood.

Other signs of a termite infestation include:

  • Winged termites flying out to develop new colonies.
  • Discarded wings on windowsills.
  • Mud tubes around foundations and basement walls.
  • Termite nests in the soil, wood, or attics.
  • Warped floors, sagging ceilings, and peeling walls that look like they’ve been damaged by water.
  • Hollow sounding support beams.
  • Dull clicking sounds caused by termites banging their heads against tunnel walls in order to communicate with each other. You might hear this if you put your ear close to the wood that you think is infested.

Most termite damage will occur without a sound or a sighting of actual termites. This makes termites hard to detect and, therefore, extremely dangerous to the wood of your home. Tennesse homeowners are at high risk for termite infestations due to our ideal temperatures and weather conditions. The state has been ranked moderate to heavy in the Termite Infestation Probability (TIP) rating.

All homeowners including new homeowners in Tennesse should consider investing in professional termite protection to avoid costly termite damage. Being proactive can save you the headache of cleaning up and repairing the destruction after the fact.

Russell’s Pest Control offers professional termite control using the Sentricon® System with Always Active™. This system effectively protects homes in an environmentally friendly way. It will assure you that your home is continually protected from termites and allows the termite technicians to detect any new termite activity. Bait stations are discreetly installed around the perimeter of your foundation. These lure worker termites to consume the bait and bring it back to their colonies which will eventually eliminate the entire colony.

Give the experts at Russell’s Pest Control in Eastern Tennessee a call for more information about termite control options and get started today protecting your property from these silent wood-destroying pests. You will be glad you did.

5 Tips For Knoxville Residents To Keep Spring Ants Out Of The Home

5 Tips For Knoxville Residents To Keep Spring Ants Out Of The Home

Knoxville is a beautiful place in which to live. Unfortunately, our warm temperatures can drive unwanted pests into our homes. As we enter spring, ant populations will be on the rise, busying themselves with food gathering and growing their colonies. We can expect ants to be busy from April through late fall in TN. Fortunately, there are strategies you can employ to help keep ant populations down on your property and keep them out of your home.

Here are five ant-prevention tips for Knoxville residents this summer:

  1. Remove trash from your home frequently and keep outdoor trash in containers with tight-fitting lids. Ants are always on the hunt for food and your trash is one of their favorite places for them to find it.
  2. Seal up your home the best you can. This includes installing or fixing screens in all windows and doors, using sweeps or guards under your doors including garage doors, and making sure that all openings and vents are sealed or covered properly.
  3. Take care of your yard and landscaping. Keeping grass trimmed short, pruning landscaping, removing dead vegetation, and providing proper drainage around gardens can reduce the attractiveness of your property to pests.
  4. Store food properly. Clean up spills and crumbs quickly. Only put pet food down when pets are eating and remove leftovers promptly. Keep your pantry goods in sealed air-tight plastic containers.
  5. Reduce water around your home. This includes making sure that gutters are draining properly, hoses and spigots are not leaking, sprinkler systems are used only when needed (and have no leaks), and drainage is effective around your foundation.

Even when following these recommended steps, it is still possible to have an ant problem in or around your Knoxville home. Ants are small and resourceful and hard to contain. The best way to completely eliminate an ant problem is with a year-round pest-control service plan from Russell’s Pest Control. With over 45 years of pest service experience, we have the expertise to keep your home free from ants and other pests. We guarantee it. Contact us today to set up a home inspection and to choose a plan that is right for you and your family. We’d be happy to partner with you to keep your home pest free.

When Do Fleas Become A Problem In Tennessee?

When Do Fleas Become A Problem In Tennessee?

If you have ever experienced a flea infestation, you know it is not a fun experience and that they are not easy to get rid of. When fleas invade an area, they multiply rapidly, leaving you with annoying flea bites that turn red and become quite itchy.

Typically, people with pets are more prone to have issues with fleas since the pets themselves pick them up. While outdoors they pick up fleas brought onto your property by other animals and then bring them into your house in their fur when they come back inside. Even if you don’t have any pets at all, you can inadvertently pick fleas up in your own backyard, at a friend or neighbor’s house, or at your local park. They travel on shoes, clothing, bags, or other personal items and, before you know it, your entire house will be invaded.

Fleas are mostly found where people and pets spend much of their time. You may most frequently find them jumping around in sofas, beds, and carpets. They have just one thing on their mind – food! Fleas feast on human and animal blood in order to survive and reproduce.

Problems Fleas Cause

Fleas are active all year long, but they become more of a problem in the southeast during our warmer months. Throughout the entire spring, summer, and fall seasons the flea population will flourish, especially since people and pets spend a lot more time outdoors during these times of the year. Fleas become more dangerous during this time, due to their large numbers. They can transmit tapeworm to pets and humans, and may also spread murine typhus and the plague. Mostly, fleas cause itchy red bites that can be annoying or even lead to secondary infections such as staph or impetigo.

Fleas are hard to get rid of on your own using DIY methods or over-the-counter products. Most of the time those methods don’t kill all of the eggs and live fleas, leaving you with an ongoing problem. Female fleas can lay upwards of 500 eggs at a time, and fleas can live for about 100 days. Flea infestations can become a huge problem in no time at all if not taken care of properly and in a timely fashion.

Getting Rid of Fleas

Flea removal and prevention is best handled by professionals. In Tennessee, you can trust Russell’s Pest Control to take care of your flea problems efficiently and effectively. We offer quality service to everyone in our service area, to control fleas and other pests that plague their homes and yards throughout the year.

Give us a call at Russell’s Pest Control to learn more about our state-of-the-art pest control technology and to get rid of fleas for good.

Where Are These Moths And Beetles In My Pantry Coming From?

Where Are These Moths And Beetles In My Pantry Coming From?

With winter in full swing, we don’t expect to see hoards of insects in our houses. They can certainly be a problem in the hot summer months, but they should all but disappear in winter, right? If that’s the case, then where are these moths and beetles in our pantries coming from?

How Moths and Beetles Get into Your Home

Believe it or not, some pests don’t get into your house by making their way inside from outdoors or by hitching a ride on the backs of your pets. Some pests get into your house because you bring them in. Indian meal moths and saw toothed grain beetles are two such pests.

Commonly put into the category of pantry pests, Indian meal moths and saw toothed grain beetles most often get into your home without your knowledge. A simple trip to the grocery store may be all it takes to bring them back home with you.

How Pantry Pests Get into Your Home

Pantry pests often begin their journey to your home at food processing plants. They get into common pantry foods, such as flour or cereal, and lay their eggs. Once those foods are packaged up and sent to grocery stores, you may end up putting one of the contaminated items in your grocery cart, then bring it home with you.

There’s often an uptick in pantry pest problems during the holidays. With all the extra baking that goes on during that time of year, people tend to have more baking ingredients in their houses, which increases their chances of accidentally bringing pantry pests into their homes.

However, it’s possible to bring these pests home with you over the holiday season and not notice a problem until later in the winter when their eggs hatch. At this point, you’re likely to see their larvae in your pantry goods, or you may notice the moths and beetles themselves flying and crawling around.

How to Avoid Bringing Pantry Pests Home With You

While it’s impossible to know for sure if the groceries you bring home are infested, you can do a few things to lessen your chances of a pantry pest outbreak:

  • Inspect items at the store. If a bag has even a small hole, it may mean pests are inside.
  • Inspect the foods themselves upon returning home. You can’t open bags and boxes at the store, but you can check through the foods when you get home.
  • Store your pantry items in containers that can’t be chewed through.

What to Do if You See Pantry Pests in Your Home

If you notice Indian meal moths or saw toothed grain beetles in your home, no matter their stage of development, give Russell’s Pest Control a call. We can eliminate your pantry pest problem so you don’t have to worry about contaminated food or an increased spread of the problem from one item to another. Keep your home insect-free this winter, the way it should be! Call Russell’s for more information.

What To Do If You See Spiders In Your Home

What To Do If You See Spiders In Your Home

No one enjoys having spiders in their home. Spiders are creepy, disturbing, and downright unpleasant to come into contact with. When dealing with spiders in your home, it is important to recognize the difference between the many nuisance spiders, and the spiders that could be dangerous to your health and safety. Knowing how to identify which spider you’ve been bitten by could determine whether you simply clean the bite and move on, or rush to get medical attention to avoid the many side effects caused by getting bitten by a poisonous spider.

Nuisance Spiders

Nuisance spiders include spiders that are not dangerous to your health. The common house spider and the cellar spider are two common nuisance spiders that invade homes fairly often. Bites from these spiders will not threaten your health, and will only create an itchy red bump at most. Many nuisance spiders prefer dark and hidden places in your home where they will not be seen easily. This makes attics and closets good spots for them to set up webs. House spiders can be identified by their yellow-white color and darkly striped abdomen. As with most spiders, female house spiders are larger than males.

Poisonous Spiders

The two spiders found in Knoxville that are dangerous to humans include the brown recluse and the black widow. Bites from these spiders need medical attention right away, as symptoms that occur after being bitten by one of these spiders can be quite harmful. The black widow can be identified by its midnight black body and red hourglass shape on its abdomen, while the brown recluse is a light tan color with a dark brown violin shape on its back. People bitten by these spiders may experience nausea, swelling, chest pain, tremors, and more. It is important that these spiders are dealt with properly by professional pest control.

Some DIY tips that will help keep spiders out include:

  • Keeping brush and wood piles away from your home
  • Installing door sweeps
  • Keeping storage areas free of clutter
  • Cutting back trees from the exterior of your home
  • Clearing away any existing webs in and around your home
  • Repairing torn window screens
  • Sealing all cracks and gaps in the foundation or exterior walls of your home

Professional pest control is always your best option when dealing with spiders or any other pest problem. Experts from Russell’s Pest Control have been dealing with spider problems for many years, so you can trust that we have the experience and tools needed to eradicate all your spider problems. Russell’s Pest Control understands the importance of keeping your home safe from spider intruders, which is why we offer ongoing pest control options for both homes and businesses. Contact Russell’s today to learn more about how we can help.

Why Call A Professional For Rodent Problems In Tennessee

Why Call A Professional For Rodent Problems In Tennessee

A lot of people would point you to pests such as termites or carpenter ants when talking about invaders that damage homes most severely, and, while these pests are definitely something to worry about, rodents are also a pest that poses not only a threat to your home but also to you and your family. Rodents are among the most common household pests, often invading homes seeking food, shelter, or warmth. But it doesn’t matter why they invade, rodents are a pest problem that should be dealt with as soon as possible.

Mice and rats are the most common rodents to invade homes, and once they’ve gotten inside, the problems they cause will begin to pile up. Rodents reproduce very rapidly, meaning that if you started out with one or two, could turn into dozens very quickly. Rodents are also responsible for damage to the structure of your home. Electrical wiring, piping systems, and furniture are all potential targets for mice and rats that have to wear down their teeth. This need to chew is capable of ruining furniture or even creating power outages and fire hazards.

Additionally, rodents often bring disease, bacteria, and parasites inside with them, which can be harmful to the health of you and your family. If ticks or fleas suddenly become a problem in your household, it could be an indicator of an underlying rodent infestation and should be handled as such.

Mice, rats, and other rodents are a major problem in homes, and DIY methods of prevention and removal are almost never effective. Rodents are quick, sneaky, and fully capable of avoiding or escaping traps that many DIY tips might tell you to use. Preventative measures are a great way to reduce ways that rodents can enter your home, but they will never do anything to help with an already existing rodent infestation.

The best and most effective way to eliminate rodent problems in and around your home is to contact the pest control experts here at Russell’s Pest Control. Many Tennessee residents face rodent problems every year, but Russell’s is helping reduce the number of homes affected by rodent invasions with our home pest control programs. Our team of pest control professionals understand what to do when it comes to rodent control, and we will work with you to find a plan that works perfectly for your home. Don’t let rodents get in the way of your health and safety, contact Russell’s Pest Control and protect your home from pesky rodent intruders.

Fall Nuisance Pests

Fall Nuisance Pests

No matter what the season, no one wants to deal with invading pests. However, there are a select few pests that invade homes during the fall for the purpose of overwintering. Ladybugs, boxelder bugs, and stink bugs are all species of insects that seek out safe, warm areas where they can avoid the winter weather and wait for spring. Often, our homes become a target for these nuisance insects, which can be both frustrating and annoying to deal with.

Boxelder Bugs

These red and black insects become problematic in the fall because of their tendency to invade homes in large numbers. Boxelder bugs will flock to the warmest exterior wall of your home once the weather begins to cool, and will then come in through any cracks or gaps around vents, windows, walls, and doors. Once inside, boxelder bugs can become a nuisance because of the large numbers they come in, and their tendency to seek out the warmest spot in your home—which is often around A/C units. If they gather around your heating system in large clusters, it can cause your A/C unit to overheat. Additionally, boxelder bugs can stain curtains, walls, and fabrics with their feces.

Ladybugs

Ladybugs are another insect species that enter homes during fall to escape the cold. Once they find a way inside through gaps around windows and doors, they generally stay within attics, wall spaces, and underneath floors, but will emerge anytime there happens to be a sunny winter day to congregate on windowsills. Ladybugs also excrete a yellow liquid when they are threatened or squished, which can stain upholstery, walls, and furniture.

Stink Bugs

Usually considered an agricultural pest during other parts of the year, stink bugs become a nuisance for homeowners during the fall and winter months when they invade homes to escape the colder weather. Similarly to both ladybugs and boxelder bugs, stink bugs will cluster on the sunniest side of buildings and find their way inside through any crevices in exterior walls, vents, and windows. Living up to their name, stink bugs will produce a foul-smelling liquid if crushed or threatened, which can stain furniture as well as curtains.

For any issue with overwintering pests, it is always important to contact professional pest control once you realize you have a problem. Russell’s Pest Control offers a wide variety of pest control services, including our residential pest control programs. Boxelder bugs, stink bugs, and ladybugs can be difficult to get rid of, especially when they come inside in large numbers. But with Russell’s Pest Control on your side, your home can be pest free in no time.

The Pests Invading Eastern Tennessee Pantries This Fall

The Pests Invading Eastern Tennessee Pantries This Fall

Fall is finally here, and we all know what that means; the holiday season is upon us. Two months and two big holidays are on the horizon: Thanksgiving and Christmas! For many Americans, the coming holiday season is a time for celebration, a time to gather together with our family and friends, and a time to talk, laugh, snack, and all around have a good time. Until, of course, someone opens up a bag of chips to find moths and beetles crawling around. Nothing ends a party faster than bugs in the food. But how did they get there? And what exactly are they? If these are the questions on your mind, then you have come to the right place.

Indian Meal Moths

Indian meal moths are small pests with bodies that are only ⅜” long, however, their wings make them look to be ⅝”. A copper red in color, these 6-legged pests are known for their ability to invade stored products and are usually found in foods such as dried fruits, seeds, chocolate, grains, nuts, bird seed, dog food, powdered milk, and dried red peppers. Most commonly, Indian meal moths will invade dry foods before they ever get to the shelves of your home. It is a good habit to carefully inspect boxes of food for damage or holes that pests could have used to get inside, before bringing them home. When you get home, consider storing dried foods inside plastic or glass, sealed containers that have airtight lids.

Saw-Toothed Grain Beetles

Saw-toothed grain beetles are much smaller than meal moths, with flat brown bodies that are a tiny 1/10” in length. Just like the Indian meal moth, grain beetles infest dry foods. The same as moths, these beetles may be prevented by thoroughly investigating food before purchasing it, and by storing foods in airtight containers.

Dangers of Beetles and Moths

It is true that both of the above panty pests do not pose any direct risk to you and your family. However, they do pose a threat to sanitation, especially in the food they infest with the eggs and fecal matter they leave behind. And, as we talked about earlier, pantry pests can pose a threat to your holiday parties by the fact that they are an extremely unpleasant addition to any food you may be trying to serve to guests.

Warning Signs and When to Call a Professional

Once inside your home, pantry pests can get out of control, spreading from food source to food source in your cabinets till it seems that nothing you want to eat is edible. If the infestation is large enough, there will be no question that they are there—you will know when you see them crawling around in your box of cornflakes. If you do find bugs in your cereal, it’s safe to say it’s time to call a professional. If your home has pantry pests, do not hesitate and call Russel’s today and let us help keep your pantries, and parties, safe this holiday season.

How Rodents Get Inside Tennessee Homes In Fall And Winter

How Rodents Get Inside Tennessee Homes In Fall And Winter

The leaves are falling, the air is crisp, and winter is on its way. Tennessee is beautiful this time of year and, as much as we’d like to spend all our time enjoying the weather, certain preparations must be made for the coldest months.

As we prepare for winter, so too are the wildlife who live around us. If we’re not careful, our two worlds might come into contact in a way that is much too close for comfort.

When fall hits, rodents realize that it’s not as warm as it was a couple of months ago and that food supplies are not as plentiful as they were in the summer. Their instincts kick in and they begin to look for warm shelter that also offers an easily accessible food source. Oftentimes, they’ll find both of these things within the walls of your home.

How Rodents Get Inside Tennessee Homes

While you can’t eliminate the warmth or food in your home, you can prevent rodents from getting inside. In order to do so, you need to understand how they find their way indoors in the first place.

Mice and rats are cautious creatures. They like to hide, and are not eager to come out in the open. If the outdoor landscape around your home offers plenty of hiding spots in the form of tall grasses, bushes and shrubbery, stone walls, wood piles, and the like, they are much more likely to be near enough to your house to look for openings to the inside.

They’ll also be attracted to your yard if there are food sources outside. Pet food left on the porch, bird feeders, or open garbage containers are a sure way to attract rodents to your property.

Once near the perimeter of your home, rodents will look for any entry points to get inside. Mice can fit through an opening the size of a dime, and rats can fit through an opening the size of a quarter, so it does not need to be big to serve as an easy entry point.

How to Prevent Rodents From Getting Inside

Now that you know how they get inside, you can eliminate or diminish the things that are drawing rodents to your property. Consider landscaping options that keep grass trimmed short and bushes, shrubs, rock walls, and wood piles a distance from your house.

Remove all potential outdoor food sources and place garbage in containers with tightly fitting lids.

Check around your home, including on the roof, for holes, gaps, and cracks, and fill or cover any that you find. Don’t forget vents and the chimney!

What to Do if Rodents Get Inside

In the event that mice or rats make their way inside, it’s important to take care of them in a timely fashion. They can cause extensive damage to a home and present some serious health hazards to the people residing in the home, as well.

While DIY methods of extermination are often tempting, they are also frequently ineffective. Traps, for instance, rarely take care of an entire rodent population. Instead, the best way to eliminate the entire problem is to bring in professional pest control experts. Russell’s Pest Control will eliminate your rodent problem at its source, as well as correct any conditions that are making it easy for rodents to get inside in the first place. We also offer ongoing home pest control solutions so that you can get back to enjoying autumn while knowing your home is well-protected. To learn more, give us a call today.

Roach-Proofing Tennessee Kitchens For The Fall

Roach-Proofing Tennessee Kitchens For The Fall

As you’re baking your apple pies and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies this autumn, the last thing you want is a cockroach crawling around your kitchen! If you’ve ever seen a cockroach move, you know just how startling they can be. Their speed alone is baffling. Not only can these pests cause a huge scare, but they also pose health threats as well. And even worse news, when you see one, there’s likely to be many more you don’t see. An infestation could include dozens or even hundreds. Don’t let your fall be ruined by cockroaches!

What exactly are the risks that cockroaches pose? Good question. Aside from startling you and increasing your heart rate, these pests are very filthy creatures. It’s common for them to be found in sewers, dumpster, and other unsanitary places. Filth is what they love. They’ll enjoy feeding on rotting food, garbage, and even carcasses. The problem with this—if you haven’t already guessed—is they can enter your home after and run freely on your countertops. Cockroaches will gladly crawl around the toilet bowl one moment and find themselves up around your toothbrushes the next. Just thinking about the places they’ve been is enough to make our stomachs turn.

Their traveling and living habits bring an array of problems. Lots of bacteria can be spread from place to place through cockroaches. They’re known to collect bacteria on their bodies and disperse pathogens, spreading them to people. Some illnesses that have been spread from cockroaches include E. coli, Salmonella, typhoid fever, gastroenteritis, cholera, and many others. Food poisoning can also result from cockroaches as they can damage packaging and spoil foods. On top of that, cockroaches are also able to bite. They aren’t aggressive insects, however, they will bite in self-defense and if they are hungry enough. What is enough to cause nightmares and sleepless nights, is that cockroaches will most likely bite at night and they go for eyelids as they prefer eyelashes and dead skin! But their bite is not known to be harmful and they’re not venomous. But their bites won’t be the cause of diseases spreading.

Alright, enough of how scary cockroaches are! The better question is what can we do to prevent these infestations from occurring? Russell’s Pest Control has some prevention tips for you to put in place:

  • Make sure to take out the trash frequently and store it in sealed containers away from your home.
  • Caulk any openings or cracks around the exterior of your home that might allow cockroaches a way in.
  • Keep the kitchen clean of spills and crumbs.
  • Make sure all food is stored in air-tight containers or in the refrigerator.
  • Install screens.
  • Correct ventilation issues and moisture-prone areas. Cockroaches are likely to be attracted to moisture and can be found in kitchens, bathrooms, crawl spaces, and basements.

Inspect packages and boxes before bringing them into your home. Cockroaches can hitch a ride in a variety of items.

Controlling cockroach infestations requires persistence, patience, and probably multiple failed attempts with DIY solutions. The best thing to do if you are worried about a cockroach infestation is to get an expert involved. Russell’s Pest Control offers both home and commercial pest control services. Our professionals can eliminate more than 30 common pests in homes throughout Knoxville and eastern Tennessee. Contact Russell’s Pest Control today to find out more information! We’ll help you determine which plan is best for you.