Get Ready for those Occasional Invaders?

Nov 4, 2011 | Pest Control

Occasional invaders are a nuisance to homeowners.  They often invade homes in massive numbers and have the potential to contaminate our food and bite or sting which has the potential to cause allergic reactions.  Fall is prime time for occasional invaders to surround your home in great numbers.  By winter time they enter your home to avoid the cold winter.  If temperatures heat up briefly during the winter months, they will become more active inside your home.  Once spring returns they will venture outside of the home during the day and return at night to keep warm.  Once temperatures remain warmer, they will evacuate your home only to come back next fall.

Occasional invaders are attracted to artificial lights and windows.  Change any exterior lights to yellow bulbs or sodium vapor lamps.  Typical entry points are around doors, windows, light fixtures, and electrical outlets.  To control these pests, it is important to ensure that all holes are sealed, paying close attention to windows and doors being shut tightly.  The good news is that these pests do not mate while in your home.  They are simply there for shelter and don’t mate until the spring.  Frequent vacuuming is a good way to get rid of pests that may have found their way into the home.

If your home has been infested by occasional invaders it is best to call an exterminating company who will come out and inspect your home and create a detailed plan of action to solve your problem.

Some common occasional invaders include:

• Beetles
• Boxelders
• Lady bugs
• Caterpillars
• Centipedes
• Crickets
• Earwigs
• Millipedes
• Mites
• Scorpions
• Springtails

Steps to Keep Spiders Out of your Home

Nov 2, 2011 | Pest Control

There are over 40,000 species of spiders on our planet.  Most are harmless and even beneficial, helping keep other pest populations in check.  All spiders are venomous (not to be confused with poisonous), that’s how they capture and digest their food, turning the insides of the common pests into a soup.  Lucky for us, most spider venom will have little or no effect on humans.

Spider control is best accomplished through proper housekeeping, the strategic placement of products, and reducing harborage and points of entrance. It’s impossible to keep all spiders out but a great reduction can be achieved.

Here are some steps that you can take to keep spiders out of your home:

• Remove all extra boxes, bags, and containers from off the floor.
• Be thorough in removing any and all webs.
• Allow items that must be on the floor or shelving that sits on the floor to have some space from the wall (at least 8”).
• Keep lights off of the home if possible.  You can have a light shine onto the home for security purposes.
• Reduce all vegetation at least 18” from the house outside.
• Seal all areas around windows, doors, and other entrances into the structure.
• Reduce/eliminate standing water.
• If you can, capture the spider and set it free so it can continue to protect your home.
• Call a pest control company to assess and take control of your pest problem.