pest control Archives

Protect Your Thanksgiving Feast from Fall Pests

Oct 7, 2022

Protection from Fall Pests

The Thanksgiving feast is a crazy yet enjoyable time of year. The last thing you want is to be joined by uninvited guests such as mice, occasional invaders, or spiders.

Unwanted pests during this time of year can be an unfortunate event. Protect yourself before it is too late by finding the right pest control company near you. Year-round pest protection is the best way to ensure your home stays pest free. Here are a few other ways to keep the pests away from your Thanksgiving feast:

Keeping Pests Out of Food

Thanksgiving is a busy time of year for your kitchen, and it is essential to keep lids on trash cans in and outside your home. Food scraps that are thrown in trash cans attract rodents and pests. The best way to keep mice out is to remove any food sources, so keep those lids on tight.

You might even consider double-bagging some scraps that would be especially attractive to hungry pests. Any leftovers that you may have will need to be stored correctly. Food left open or not put away correctly might attract mice and other pests. Ensure everything is sealed up and put away right after the meal.

Vacuuming and Deep Cleaning

Clean the dining room after the feast as soon as possible to prevent the crumbs and food from attracting mice and pests. It is also equally important to deep clean the kitchen after all the meal preparations and meal is over. Don’t forget to clean under the fridge and all the other places that are hard to reach.

Inspect Decorations When Unpacking Them

Pulling all of our fall and winter decorations from the garage or attics can be scary if you don’t have your pest control in order. The attic and garage are prime points of entry for almost all pests. The darkness and low-traffic spots make the perfect hiding places.

From there it is easy for rodents and insects to find their way into your walls and run through your homes without you even knowing it. It is important to inspect for any pests when pulling out these decorations.

If you come across any pests, it is important to try to contain them if possible and call your local pest control company.

Watch Out for that Firewood

During this time of year, nothing sounds more enjoyable than getting cozy in front of the fireplace. Having a fire can be extremely pleasant as long as nothing hitches a ride on the firewood from outside. This is a great example of how occasional invaders make their way into your homes. Before bringing any wood into your home, inspect it for any pests that might be hiding inside the wood.

Prevention is the Best Protection

Ensure your Thanksgiving feast will stay 100% pest-free by having year-round protection for your home. Pests will find a way to a warm place to sleep and have a meal, so it is important to be proactive in your protection. InsectaShield® is an affordable preventative service to ensure your home is free of pests like spiders, mice, ants, and termites by stopping them before they get inside. Use the Bug Zero interactive package builder to build your custom InsectaShield® protection plan.

CAPE GIRARDEAU MO AREA: CALL OR TEXT 573-803-7828

SPRINGFIELD MO AREA: CALL OR TEXT 417-831-7378

Spooky Spider Season! How to Spider-Proof Your Home

Sep 22, 2022

Spider Control In Your Home

As Halloween rolls around the corner, it’s not the only spooky thing creeping its way into your home this October. Fall marks the beginning of the mating season for spiders all over, and your home might be the place to find an appropriate mate. Below are some tips for keeping your home spider-free this fall season!

Clean out Quiet and Dark Places

The best way to keep spiders away is to make sure dark and quiet places are cleaned out frequently in your home. The most notorious places for spiders to hide are garages and attics. Both of those places have dark, quiet areas for spiders to make webs free from any commotion in the house.

Attics and garages lead to the exteriors of homes, which make them a great entry point for all kinds of critters. If you notice any webs while cleaning out those areas, use a broom to clear them out. Try to get rid of clutter laying around your home as well and clear up any place that might attract spiders.

Block Spiders from Coming In

The most common ways a spider can enter your home is through doors, windows, and air vents. Making sure these points of entry are sealed properly can help maintain a spider-free home. Seal any cracks in the foundations or any holes or gaps you might find. You can put a screen in front of the air vents and steel wool or caulk in any gaps that you find.

Choose Bug Zero

No matter how frequently you take down webs or clean up cluttered places, spiders are inevitably going to enter your home. Picking the right pest control specialist is the most important step you can take in making sure your home stays spider-free. InsectaShield® is Bug Zero’s signature pest control plan for residents.

This proactive, preventative service ensures your home is free of pests like ants, spiders, mice, and termites by stopping them before they get inside your home. This includes 6 treatments a year. The first is the only indoor treatment so you won’t need to change your busy schedule to maintain protection against pests. Protect your home and get started today!

CAPE GIRARDEAU MO AREA: CALL OR TEXT 573-803-7828

SPRINGFIELD MO AREA: CALL OR TEXT 417-831-7378

Attic Pests

Jan 1, 2022

Attic Pest Control

When there is a pest infestation in your home, you may find out by coming across the pest, their droppings, webs, etc. But what about the less traveled spaces such as your attic? Typically, we visit attics to pull items out of storage or tuck something away. So, maybe a handful of times each year? This could mean pests are enjoying your warm, dark attic with little human disruption. To top it off, there are usually many nooks and crannies to hide in. One of the main invaders to be on the lookout for is mice and rats.

Invaders

Mice and Rats are pests that can threaten your home and your health. They are known for gnawing on electrical wiring, drywall, and other structural pieces which can lead to house fires and a weakened home structure. Rodents also acquire materials such as insulation and packing supplies to build their nests. These invaders can bring fleas, ticks, and mites into a home, cause allergic reactions with their urine, leave behind droppings, and spread hazardous diseases such as typhus, salmonellosis, and jaundice.

Prevention Tips

To protect your items in storage and your home, here are some tips to keep rodents out of your attic:

Avoid leaving trash outside your home for long periods of time.
Seal trash cans/bins properly.
Avoid using cardboard boxes when storing items.
Check for overhanging trees and greenery near your roof.
Patch holes in the floorboard, walls, and roof with wire mesh, steel pads, or caulk.
Secure chimneys with a cap.
Stack firewood and debris away from your house.

If you hear squeaking, gnawing, or scurrying coming from your attic, it may mean you have some invaders. Rats and mice reproduce rapidly so be sure to contact your licensed pest exterminators right away.

CAPE GIRARDEAU AREA: CALL OR TEXT 573-803-7828
SPRINGFIELD AREA: CALL OR TEXT 417-831-7378

Spiders 101

Jun 1, 2021

Knowing the different species of spiders is not exactly common knowledge. They can be found in different sizes, colors, and shapes making it difficult to identify the specific species they are. In the case that you are able to identify your pesky intruder, do you know its behavior and diet? Here is some additional spider information.

What are the most common house spiders?

-American house spider

-Hobo spider

-Woodlouse spider

-Cellar spider

-Wolf spider

-Brown recluse

-Black widow

Out of the seven most common house spiders in Missouri, two are venomous and that is the brown recluse and black widow. They can be identified with either a violin-shaped mark (brown recluse) or a red hourglass shape (black widow).

Where do they come from?

One of the first questions to ask when you start noticing any pests is, “where are they coming from?” Spiders normally make their way into homes through cracks, windows, air vents, doors, garages, or any other opening they may find. They can even find those small holes where your cables or pipes connect to your house. Spiders can also be found on clothing, or other items brought in from outside.

What is their behavior and diet?

Spiders follow where their food source goes. That’s why when you start seeing other insects, spiders are normally not too far behind. As they migrate inside, following their food source, they find either a wet or dry, dark area to hide depending on the type of spider. Ones that prefer a moist space find basements, bathrooms, or crawl spaces to hide. Spiders that prefer drier spaces look for air vents, attics, and room corners.

How can I get rid of house spiders?

While there may be DIY methods to get rid of these pests, no solutions are long-term. We recommend contacting Bug Zero for your pest control options.

CAPE AREA: CALL OR TEXT 573-803-7828

SPRINGFIELD AREA: CALL OR TEXT: 417-831-7378

Do you know the extent of your termite problem?

May 12, 2021

Termite invasions are not always noticeable. The evidence may be hidden in a crawl space or another less visited location. When you do notice, it is difficult to know the extent of the damage. To then fix the structural damage can be costly. Here are a few signs of termite activity/damage to be on the lookout for.

Mud Structures and Tubes

A common sign of termites is mud structures and tubing. Subterranean termites need moisture, and this allows them to stay in a moist environment while traveling to and from food sources. You may spot these on the outside of your home/building.

Damaged Wood

While damage to wood may be visible sometimes, often it is not. Some signs include squeaky floorboards, hollow wood, small holes in dry wood and raised floorboards. This is caused by tunnels and grooves within the wood which causes the structure to weaken.

Visible Termites

Breeding season for termites lands in spring which means that you are more likely to see a few or even a swarm depending on the severity of the infestation. Often, they are mistaken for flying ants. A noticeable difference between the two is the color. Termite’s wings are much lighter in color than flying ants.

Termite Pellets

Wood-looking pellets are left behind by these small pests. Termites create holes where they remove their excrement. This is their way of keeping their area clean and is often a dead giveaway to a termite infestation.

Visible termite damage is an indication that the pests have been present for quite some time. This normally means that there is extensive structural damage to the home/building which results in hefty repair costs. Check out Bug Zero’s termite services today to avoid the risk!

Or call if you have questions about the treatments available.