Sep 8, 2023 | Pest Control
Centipedes are arthropods that will often make their way into your home. Although centipede means “100 legs,” not every centipede actually has that many. Most centipedes prefer dark, damp spaces and are commonly found outdoors under rocks, logs, or piles of leaves. Other species can be found in your home. Here are 5 of the most common type of centipedes you may come across in our area.
Types of Centipedes
House Centipede
House centipedes are found throughout North America and even in Hawaii. They can grow to be 1-1/2″ long and have 15 pairs of legs. Their bodies are yellowish-gray in color with 3 stripes on their backs. They have long antennae. House centipedes are usually found in dark areas of your home, like the basement. They are usually harmless, but will bite you if they are handled. They are quite beneficial to have around as they will eat roaches, moths, termites, and other household pests.
Eastern Red Centipede
The Eastern Red centipede is found across the East Coast. These centipedes grow to about 2-1/2″ long. Their bodies are red or orange in color with lighter orange legs. They like moisture and will burrow under wet leaves, logs, compost piles, and woodpiles. They are venomous with a very painful bite.
Eastern Bark Centipede
The Eastern Bark centipede can be found in the Eastern United States and Canada westward to the Rocky Mountains. They can grow up to 3″ long. These centipedes vary in color, ranging from solid orange-brown to dark brown. Some species also have an olive colored stripe on their back. Their heads are brownish-red and their antennae and legs are yellow. These centipedes are nocturnal and live under rocks and logs. They are venomous and will bite.
Diamondback Soil Centipede
The diamondback soil centipede will grow up to 2″ in length. They have light brown bodies with dark brown diamonds on their backs. They are found throughout North America, typically in gardens rather than inside the home. They live under debris and will burrow into the soil. They don’t have eyes and don’t bite. They secrete a poisonous substance from the underside of their bodies in an attempt to ward off predators but they are not considered a threat to humans.
Brown Centipede
Brown centipedes originated in Europe (where they are quite common) but can now be found on the Eastern seaboard of the United States. They grow to about 1″ in length. They have brown bodies, long antennae, and long tails. They hunt at night and can often be found in dark areas of the home, such as the basement. They do have venomous fangs but they are so small that they do not pose any threat to humans. In fact, they are beneficial to have around because they eat other household pests.
Preventing Centipedes
- Reduce moisture. Centipedes prefer moist, high humidity environments. Repair any leaks you may have in and around your home. Use dehumidifiers in areas with humidity (e.g. basements and crawlspaces). Run exhaust fans in bathrooms and attics to also help reduce moisture.
- Declutter. Clutter provides shelter and protection for centipedes. Reduce clutter around your home, especially in areas where centipedes are commonly found (basements, crawlspaces, attics). Move any leaf piles, grass clippings, and firewood away from your home.
- Get rid of food sources. Centipedes will eat other pests that come into or around your home. Practice routine pest control to help keep other pest populations at bay to keep centipedes away, as well.
- Seal them out. Seal any cracks, gaps, and holes on the outside of your home to eliminate ways for them to get in. Repair tears in screens and install weatherstripping to doors and windows.
- Call the pros. Establishing routine pest control services with a local pest control company can help to not only keep centipedes from invading your home, but other household pests, as well. The technicians can also give your home a thorough inspection, helping to identify any pest problems before they get out of hand.
Jul 21, 2023 | Pest Control
Centipedes and millipedes are two common household pests that are often mistaken for each other. How can you tell them apart? How can you tell if they’ve infested your home? Learn the difference between centipedes and millipedes, along with tips to prevent both of them from taking over your home.
Centipedes
Centipedes have elongated, flat, segmented bodies with 1 pair of legs per segment. They can have anywhere from 15 to 177 pairs of legs. They have long antennae on their heads, as well. They can come in a variety of colors but the most common species are either brown or reddish-orange. These pests are attracted to damp, dark areas like basements, bathrooms, and closets.
Centipedes are nocturnal and can move very fast, making them hard to spot by homeowners. In fact, the only real sign of centipedes in your home is spotting live pests.
- Eliminating moisture. Repair leaks and use dehumidifiers to keep moisture levels down.
- Eliminating clutter. Keeping your home free of clutter gets rid of potential hiding places centipedes can use.
- Eliminating openings. Centipedes will get in through cracks, gaps, and holes in the exterior of your home. Sealing these up will help keep them out.
- Vacuuming them up. An easy way to get rid of centipedes you come across is to vacuum them up and dispose of them immediately.
Millipedes
Millipedes have long, cylindrical bodies with 2 rows of legs on their bodies and 1 row of legs on the front of their bodies. They grow to about 1 to 2 inches in length. These pests will curl into a ball when touched or threatened. They prefer dark, damp spaces and are often found under wood piles, under rocks, and under trashcans. When they come indoors, they can often be found in attics, basements, sheds, and crawlspaces. These pests eat damp and decaying wood particles and plants.
Millipedes are also nocturnal so spotting them can be difficult. Signs of millipedes include seeing live pests in your home and signs of structural damage. These pests will eat damp or decaying wood so look out for damage to firewood, cardboard boxes, etc.
- Eliminating water. They are attracted to moisture so repair leaks and get rid of standing water. Use dehumidifiers when necessary.
- Eliminating food sources. Store firewood away from your home. Replace or repair water damaged wood as soon as possible.
- Clean up outdoors. Keep mulch, pine straw, leaves, etc. away from your foundations.
- Seal them out. Caulk any cracks, crevices, gaps, and holes to keep them from coming in.
Although centipedes and millipedes don’t pose a significant threat to humans or homes, they can be a nuisance to have around. Routine pest control can help keep these, and other common household pests, from taking over your home. Contact your local pest control company for an inspection.
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Apr 11, 2023 | Pest Control
Alabama Pest Control: Common Household Flies
Whether inside or outside, flies can be a huge annoyance. These small pests seem to find their way back into your space after you’ve already swatted them away multiple times! At a glance, you might be able to tell what kind of fly it really is, but they can all look the same. Each type of fly has its own set of characteristics. Let’s break down the common flies you might see in your Jasper, Alabama home.
House Fly
Being the most common out of all the flies, this easily identifiable pest is widespread throughout the United States. House flies can be spotted with red eyes and gray, hairy bodies. These types of flies don’t have teeth or stingers, so they feed off liquids found from human food, animal carcasses, and garbage.
While they can’t sting humans, they can spread more than 100 different pathogens including salmonellosis, typhoid, and tuberculosis. They also contaminate food surfaces by spreading diseases picked up on their legs and mouths when feeding on any trash or feces.
Fruit Fly
These oval-shaped insects are known for rapidly reproducing and can be found indoors year-round. Fruit flies are attracted to and eat rotting food; more specifically they tend to gravitate towards fruits and vegetables. They are known to breed in dark, moist areas like drains, disposals, and trashcans. They also lay around 500 eggs that can hatch in as little as 24 hours.
These pests also don’t sting or bite, but they can contaminate foods with dangerous bacteria and disease-causing pathogens.
Drain Fly
These moth-like flies are commonly found in dark, damp conditions, like drains. Drain flies don’t bite, but their presence can aggravate asthma in some people. These household pests appear light gray to tan with a dark border around their wings.
If you have an infestation of any species of fly in your Jasper, Alabama home, then contact your local pest control company to discover a treatment and prevention plan best for you!
Mar 1, 2023 | Pest Control
Ranging from 12 to 19 mm in size, silverfish are household pests that are attracted to dark, damp areas. They range in colors including white, brown-grey, and bluish-silver. Silverfish are wingless with a flat appearance and 3 thread-like tails. Their size and shape allow them to hide in small spaces.
They feed on starch and sugar and find a lot of these options in your home. You can find them eating paste from book bindings, photos, clothing, bedding, curtains, old papers, wallpaper paste, shampoo, dead insects, pasta, flour, cereal, and other common starches. Because of this they are typically found in kitchens and pantries.
Beyond the kitchen, they can be found in bathrooms, basements, attics, and laundry rooms, which provide dark, damp spaces. They usually find their way indoors when the weather begins to get warmer and drier or when there is excessive rainfall.
Their jaws aren’t strong enough to pierce human skin, but they are fast and can usually escape predators fairly quickly. They will cause damage to your home by chewing fabrics, contaminating food they are eating, and triggering allergies.
Common signs of silverfish include:
- Holes, notches, edges on surface they eat
- Yellow stains or discarded scales
- Feces in the form of tiny black pellets
Prevent silverfish by:
- Cleaning out closets and cabinets and dusting bookshelves
- Storing food in airtight containers
- Removing piles of wet leaves from your yard
- Using a dehumidifier in damp areas like basements and crawlspaces
- Keeping the perimeter of your home clean and dry
- Sealing the exterior of your home
If you notice an increase in silverfish in your Georgia home, contact your local pest control company for a thorough evaluation.
Aug 16, 2022 | Pest Control
American cockroaches are a major household pest. Also known as water bugs and palmetto bugs, these pests are the largest of the cockroaches that infest homes. American cockroaches will make their way indoors in search of food and water. Their diet consists of leaves, wood particles, algae, fungi, small insects, food scraps, crumbs, and pet food. They can spread diseases and contaminate any surfaces they touch. They are also known to cause allergies and trigger asthma. These roaches will pick up germs on their legs and spread them to any surfaces they touch. They are known carriers of pathogens that cause diarrhea, cholera, leprosy, dysentery, plague, typhoid fever, and several viruses like poliomyelitis.
The first step in cockroach prevention is identifying the type of cockroach you are dealing with. Once that is determined, you can implement our favorite prevention tips to keep them from infesting your home.
Identification
American roaches are reddish-in color with a yellow band on the back of their heads. They range in size from 1-1/4″ to 2-1/8″ long, with some even reaching lengths of 3″. They have oval shaped bodies with 6 legs and a set of antennae. Despite their name, these cockroaches are found worldwide. Males and females both have wings and they can fly short distances. They can bite, but they rarely do. They normally live outdoors but will come inside looking for food and water. Outdoors they are commonly found in flower beds, trees, and under rocks. They are also commonly found in sewer systems. Inside the home they can be found in laundry rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and crawlspaces.
Signs of an Infestation
Learning how to spot signs of an roach infestation is critical to getting it under control. The most common sign is seeing the presence of cockroaches in your home. They will often flee to dark spaces when they’ve been discovered. They also leave behind droppings in the areas where they inhabit. These droppings have blunt ends and ridges on the sides and are often mistaken for mouse droppings. American cockroaches will also leave egg capsules behind. These are dark colored, about 8 mm long, and are often glued to surfaces near food sources. Finally, roaches emit a pheromone that gives off a musty odor. Smelling this in your home is another indication there is a cockroach infestation inside.
Prevention
American roaches are highly resilient pests. They have evolved several adaptations over time that give them survival skills that make them difficult to eradicate. They can even survive up to a week without their heads! You can prevent cockroaches by:
- Inspecting your home to identify openings they can use to get into your home.
- Look for cracks in walls, gaps around electrical sockets, and bathroom and sink drains.
- Seal these openings with silicone-based caulk.
- Seal around doors and windows with weatherstripping.
- Keeping your home clean and sanitary.
- Keep counters sinks, floors, and tables clean and crumb-free.
- Clean up any spills immediately.
- Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink, especially overnight.
- Store food in airtight containers.
- Don’t leave pet food out overnight.
- Vacuum at least once per week.
- Ventilate crawlspaces to prevent moisture.
- Run water periodically in bathrooms to keep u-traps full.
If you have a problem with roaches in your home, contact your local pest control company who can identify what kind of roaches you have, how they are getting in, and the best treatment and ongoing prevention plan for your home.
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