May 2, 2023 | Pest Control
Flies are one of the most common household pests that can be found almost everywhere in the world. They are not only annoying but can also carry a variety of diseases, including typhoid, cholera, and dysentery. Therefore, it’s important to properly identify the common types of flies in order to prevent them. In this blog, we’ll discuss how to identify and prevent different types of common flies.
House Fly
The house fly is the most common type of fly found in homes. They are gray in color and have four black stripes on their thoraces. These pests are attracted to food, garbage, and feces, and can transmit bacteria and viruses that cause diseases.
Fruit Fly
Fruit flies are small, brownish-yellow flies with red eyes. They are attracted to ripening fruits and vegetables, as well as fermented liquids such as wine and vinegar.
Drain Fly
Drain flies are small, moth-like flies that are commonly found in bathrooms and kitchens. They are gray or black in color and have hairy wings. They breed in organic matter that accumulates in drains and pipes, as well as in standing water.
How to Prevent Flies:
- Keep drains clean and clear of debris
- Fix any leaks promptly
- Use drain cleaners regularly
- Keep kitchen clean and free of any ripe fruit or vegetables
- Clean up spills promptly
- Store food in sealed containers
- Use garbage cans with tight-fitting lids
By following these tips, you can enjoy a fly-free home. If you begin to see an influx of flies in your home, give your local pest control company a call for a personalized plan.
Apr 20, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
Hurricanes are bound to happen, especially in Florida. These natural phenomena can cause severe damage to our community, homes, and the environment around us. Unfortunately, hurricanes will also affect pest activity, as homeowners might see the emergence of even more pests. After a hurricane, we will often experience a population increase of pests that thrive in warm, moist environments. Check out our list of pests to look out for after a hurricane and what you can do for hurricane pest control.
Mosquitoes
One of the most common pests that emerge after a hurricane is mosquitoes. The water that’s left behind by the storm will provide the perfect breeding ground for these pests. While mosquitoes are a nuisance, they can spread diseases such as the West Nile virus, Zika virus, and dengue fever. To prevent these pests, remove objects that can collect rainwater, including toys, buckets, tarps, old tires, and more. Likewise, look to remove all leaves and yard debris to keep mosquitoes from invading your yard.
Ants
Other pests that will emerge after a hurricane are ants. When an area becomes flooded, it forces ants to seek out a new place to inhabit, often leading them to our homes. Ants, such as fire ants, pavement ants, and carpenter ants, can all be difficult to control, as they can establish their new colony quickly and are highly adaptable. To keep ants from invading your home after a storm, seal all cracks or gaps found on the interior and exterior of the home. Remove and clean up any food source that may attract ants inside.
Roaches
Cockroaches will thrive in the aftermath of a hurricane. A home or building that’s flooded provides the perfect environment for these pests, where they can settle, breed, and multiply. Roaches are known to carry diseases and even trigger allergic reactions. To deter roaches from your home, eliminate as much moisture as possible by regularly checking for leaky faucets or sinks. Take the trash out on a regular basis, placing it in a tightly sealed trashcan with a lid.
Hurricanes can have a significant impact on our environment and the activity of household pests. Utilizing hurricane pest control measures throughout your home before a hurricane or rainstorm will help to prevent a full-blown pest infestation. If you’re still seeing pests after taking precautions, it could be time to contact your local pest control company for help. These professionals will inspect your home, identify the pest, identify areas of entry, and provide you with a treatment and prevention plan that’s fit for your home.
Apr 18, 2023 | Wildlife
Rodents, such as rats and mice, are common household pests that can cause many problems, from property damage to health issues. In the southern United States, there are several types of rats and mice that are commonly found near homes. Let’s go over the most common types of rats and mice and how to prevent them from invading your home.
Roof Rat
Roof rats are also known as black rats and are commonly found in urban and suburban areas. They are about 7-10 inches in length and have pointed snouts, large ears, and long, thin tails. They are excellent climbers and can often be found in attics and trees.
Norway Rat
Norway rats are also known as brown rats and are larger than roof rats, measuring 10-12 inches in length. They have blunt snouts, small ears, and short, thick tails. They are burrowers and are often found in basements and crawl spaces.
House Mouse
House mice are small rodents that are about 3-4 inches in length. They have pointed snouts, large ears, and long, thin tails. They are excellent climbers and can often be found in attics and walls.
Deer Mouse
Deer mice are small rodents that are about 3-4 inches in length. They are brown or gray in color and have large eyes and ears. They are often found in rural areas and can carry hantavirus, a potentially fatal disease.
How to prevent rodents:
- Seal any cracks or openings in your home’s exterior
- Keep your home clean and free of clutter
- Store food in sealed containers
- Keep basement and crawl space clean and free of debris
- Keep trees trimmed away from your home
If you believe you have a rodent infestation, give your local wildlife control company a call to provide a customized plan of action!
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!
Apr 10, 2023 | Pest Control
Tennessee Pest Control: Preventing Pantry Pests
The last thing you want to find in your pantry is pests. Known as pantry pests, these types of insects like to invade your stored food products and lay their eggs inside. What kind of creatures would want to invade our stored food? Let’s break it down.
Pests like beetles, weevils, and moths are the most likely culprits to invade your pantry. Although not the only kind to invade, these are the most common types that you will see and they include saw-toothed grain beetles, Indian meal moths, rice weevils, and drugstore beetles.
To know if you are dealing with a pantry pest infestation, be sure to check boxes of food for unusual things like eggs, larvae, and live beetles, moths, or weevils. These pests won’t be exclusively in open boxes, so make time to check most boxes of food.
Prevent Pantry Pests
There are two ways that these pests can find their way inside your Tennessee home. The first way involves flying or crawling in through exterior windows, doors, cracks, crevices, and other openings. The second way is coming in with your recently purchased dry food products. Keeping these in mind, here are a few pantry pest prevention tips to keep them away:
- Refrain from buying boxes of food that are unsealed or damaged
- Seal holes, cracks, and gaps in or around your home
- Make sure your windows and doors are sealed properly
- Repair serious damage to your home’s exterior
If you believe your pantry has been infiltrated by pantry pests, then give your local pest control company a call today for a free inspection!
