Spooky Spider Season! How to Spider-Proof Your Home

Spooky Spider Season! How to Spider-Proof Your Home

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

Commercial Pest Prevention Tips

Commercial Pest Prevention Tips

Commercial Pest Control

As the temperature slowly falls around this time of year, it is common for pests to begin their hunt for a place to hide in warmer conditions. Unfortunately, those spaces consist of offices, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and many other commercial properties.

Some of the more notable insects that might be entering your business are flies, ground beetles, and spiders. It is imperative that you take preventive measures due to the large range of diseases that these insects may carry. Below is some information on how to prevent these pests from calling your commercial space home this fall.

Flies

Flies are not only considered one of the most bothersome insects to be circulating on your commercial property but also one of the most unsanitary. This specific insect is attracted to all kinds of garbage, excrement, and decaying materials where it picks up transmittable diseases that can harm humans.

To maintain safety for employees and potential customers it is important to take the following preventative measures. Double-check that all garbage cans have sealed tight lids. Don’t let food sit out over a prolonged period of time and ensure all food is stored properly overnight.

Any damp mops that sit after usage increase the possibility of attracting flies. Fix any leaking pipes that could be used as a source of water and check the seals and screens of all windows and doors.

Occasional Invaders

There are a handful of occasional invaders like Boxelder Bugs, Stink Bugs, and Asian Lady Beetles. Boxelder Bugs are sometimes found trapped around doors and windows, inside walls, and in any tiny holes or crevices. Asian Lady Beetles, which appear to look like slightly larger ladybugs, enter buildings the same way Boxelder Bugs do.

Stink Bugs are also a very popular fall pest that likes to creep into commercial spaces. Lights and reflective surfaces attract them.

For all of the occasional invaders above, one thing you can do to prevent them from entering your commercial space is to make sure all windows and doorways are sealed properly. If you see daylight under a closed door it is a potential entry point.

Spiders

Fall is an important time to take preventative measures against spiders since this is the time of the year they start to lay their eggs.

These eggs will stay dormant until they hatch in the spring. Removing webs with a vacuum or broom is a good way to deter them, but not all spiders build webs. Some hide in dark places, making any office or commercial property the perfect place to thrive.

One dangerous spider bite can be detrimental to any business when putting employees at risk. Checking all window and door seals and replacing ones that have grown old and have stopped working will help prevent these little critters from entering.

Conclusion

As a business owner, it is your responsibility to maintain a healthy work environment free from any pest that might bring harm to employees or customers. Having any of these pests present in your commercial space opens up the risk of safety violations, fines, and even the possibility of having to shut down your business.

Spiders can inflict poisonous bites, and flies can transmit diseases. Don’t risk the safety of your business or employees by neglecting the ways to prevent these pests. Instead of just deterring pests, consider eliminating them by contacting your local pest experts. At Bug Zero, we offer services to help suppress or eliminate flies, ground beetles, spiders, and more.

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

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

Spiders 101

Spiders 101

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

How should I prep my home for fall pests?

How should I prep my home for fall pests?

Who doesn’t love to get cozied up on a crisp autumn evening? Much like we humans love getting inside to some comfortable warmth during this season, so do many pests. Fall is the time of year that pests like mice, crickets and spiders make their journey into your home to get in on the comfy, cozy action.

Here are a few tips we suggest to keep your home protected from these uninvited seasonal guests.

  1. Keep places such as basements, attics or crawl spaces dry and ventilated. Since many pests are attracted to humid locations for survival, use things such as a dehumidifier to keep the aforementioned areas dry.
  2. Be on the lookout for cracks in foundation around the house. They may be small spaces, but plenty of pests can make their way through these unintentional entryways. Use caulk to seal those areas up.
  3. If you keep firewood near the home, move it away from the house. As a rule of thumb, it needs to be kept at least 20 feet away from your home and preferably not in direct contact with soil.
  4. Keep counters clean and remove crumbs or any food remnants from the home. Pests love feeding on our leftover morsels. And don’t forget, they love pet food too! Put away pet dishes after pet feeding times. Also do not feed your outside pets more than they will consume. Leftover food attracts mice and wildlife.
  5. Try to inspect any storage boxes, packages or shopping bags that come in the home. Shake or clean them out to rid the container of any critters. Storing belongings in plastic tubs with sealed lids is preferred over cardboard boxes.

If you want to feel an extra sense of security this year, trust us to keep your home protected from these pests.

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