pest prevention 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

Midwest Fall Pests

Sep 6, 2021

Fall is just around the corner. Leaves will begin to change colors, the air will get cooler and for most, the furnace will kick on. As we attempt to stay warm inside, pests will to do the same. Keeping your home pest-free means pest-proofing your home and knowing what pests to keep an eye out for. Two of the most common pests to take shelter in the fall are mice and spiders.

Mice are a danger to your health and home. A common sign of a mice infestation is droppings. Their feces can carry viruses such as Hantavirus and Salmonella, and this can result in contaminated food items. These pests are also known for bringing in other pests such as fleas, lice, and ticks, which will increase the chance of another pest invasion.

Just like several other pests, mice can be known for causing structural damage. They will chew and gnaw on wood, wires, and more. In order to build nests, they will gather insulation from walls and other fibrous materials. This can include items in your home such as clothing and paper.

Fall is mating season for most spiders. This increases the likeliness of you seeing them and their webs in your home. A few of the more common spiders you may see in the fall are house spiders, wolf spiders and brown recluses. While not all spiders pose as a threat to your health, spiders such as brown recluses do. Shaking out clothing, shoes, sheets, and towels can help prevent the likeliness of a bite.

Get an early start to your fall pest protection by contacting Bug Zero today!

Or give us a call if you have questions about the services we offer.

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

How do I prevent those pesky mice?

Nov 1, 2020

Though mice are small, furry, and sometimes even kind of cute, no one wants to have a mouse problem in their home. Mice can cause all kinds of damage such as electrical fires due to gnawed through wires. In fact, in the U.S., rodents alone cause around $20 billion in damages.

Here are a few ways you can protect your home from these scurrying critters this fall and winter.

Keep basements, attics or crawl spaces dry and ventilated.
Seal any cracks or holes outside the home. Rodents can crawl through these gaps easily and infiltrate your home. Use caulk or steel wool to seal these areas.
Reduce the moisture level around your home. Things such as leaking pipes or clogged drains can encourage pests to come inside.
Store all food in airtight containers and avoid leaving open packages of food on countertops or in pantries and cupboards. Mice love to eat human scraps and having bacteria-ridden vermin hanging out in your eating space is not ideal.
Try installing door sweeps on your doors screen your vents and chimney openings.

Regarding mouse prevention for your home that Bug Zero can provide, we can install tamper resistant exterior mouse bait stations. These stations provide an opportunity for mice to feed on the bait before they gain access to the interior of your home. We also include caulking and sealing of small entry points around HVAC lines or cable lines to minimize entry points. Of course, if it’s too late for the prevention stage and rodents have already come in your home, call a pest care professional to help you get rid of them. We a team full of have highly trained professionals ready to help you!

Get started with Bug Zero today!

Or give us a call if you have questions about the services we offer.
CAPE AREA: CALL OR TEXT 573-803-7828
SPRINGFIELD AREA: CALL OR TEXT 417-831-7378