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Pest Control Problems During the Spring

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Spring is the time of year when flowers bloom, babies are born, and new pests start to invade. The sad part about spring for homeowners is that pests become a big problem. Like new vegetation and new babies, there are new pests. Some may have been hibernating for the winter, while others can’t survive the cold of the winter, and still others are just more of the same pests from last season.

Spring Pest Control Problems.

Spring brings beautiful flowers, but it often brings out many insects who like to feed on these flowers.

So while some pests have gone away for the winter and did not seem to be much of a problem they will be back in action now that it’s spring.

Homeowners need to be extra cautious inside their homes during spring cleaning as many pests are awakening from their winter hibernation. Moving boxes and other items stored away for the winter you may discover pests or evidence of pests. Be extremely cautious as some of these pests can bite or sting if they are disturbed.

One reason for the increase in pest activity is that spring is reproduction season. Pests will want to get back outdoors, because many of them will not reproduce within a home and they need to start that process outside in a more natural environment.

Within a few weeks people will start to see populations double or triple as pests will be reproducing at high rates, and remember some pests reproduce many multiples of eggs at once. This becomes a problem because there will be more pests to get rid of. Make sure to call your local pest control agency to come out and help with the problem.

Spring Pest Control Problems

Even cacti will bloom flowers. Many rodents and insects will use cacti as a place to live so be very cautious around cacti.

Another reason pest problems rise in the spring is the new vegetation that is growing and blooming. This is a huge attraction for pests. Hornets, wasps and bees particularly like the fresh pollen on flowers. People will see an increase of these pests wherever flowers can be found. If you have flowers on your property, especially near your home, be extra cautious. Like many other pests, bees don’t like to be disturbed and if they are, they will go into attack mode. Also the new vegetation is a food source for many other pests and insects.

Not only is the new vegetation tempting, but any old vegetation left over from winter such as rotting citrus or compost, can attract pests. Make sure to monitor anything that you are growing, as some pests can be good for plants etc. while others can be bad. If you have bushes, trees, or plants growing make sure to maintain their growth. Homeowners do not want to let them grow wild, as many trees and plants are used by pests for homes and traveling paths. Keep them trimmed, and most importantly make sure no leaves, branches, etc. are touching the house, roof, or surrounding walls.

These steps are basic prevention tips to help keep most pests from getting inside your home. Some homeowners will go as far as having a low maintenance yard. For instance, you may decide to not have trees or bushes. But there are other ways to keep a low maintenance yard and still have some vegetation. Check out our prevention tips to help maintain your home from being an open door to pests. These steps can also be used year-round, which is extremely helpful so that come spring your home is already set to prevent any pests from getting in. Following is a list of the most common spring pests by state:

If you do not see the state you reside in on this list please check back as more states are still being added to our database. Also the database is still adding more and more pests, so if you have a problem with a pest and don’t see it listed in the database please continue to visit www.localpestcontrolservices.com as pests are continually being added.

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Alaska Pest Control, Arizona Pest Control, Arkansas Pest Control, California Pest Control, Colorado Pest Control, Connecticut Pest Control, Delaware Pest Control, Distric of Columbia, Florida Pest Control, Georgia Pest Control, Hawaii Pest Control, Idaho Pest Control, Illinois Pest Control, Indiana Pest Control, Iowa Pest Control, Kansas Pest Control, Kentucky Pest Control, Louisiana Pest Control, Maine Pest Control, Maryland Pest Control, Massachusetts Pest Control, Michigan Pest Control, Minnesota Pest Control, Mississippi Pest Control, Missouri Pest Control, Montana Pest Control, Nebraska Pest Control, Nevada Pest Control, New Hampshire Pest Control, New Jersey Pest Control, New Mexico Pest Control, New York Pest Control, North Carolina Pest Control, North Dakota Pest Control, Ohio Pest Control, Oklahoma Pest Control, Oregon Pest Control, Pennsylvania Pest Control, Rhode Island Pest Control, Seasonal Pest Problems, South Carolina Pest Control, South Dakota Pest Control, Spring Pest Control Problems, Tennessee Pest Control, Texas Pest Control, Utah Pest Control, Vermont Pest Control, Virginia Pest Control, Washington Pest Control, West Virginia Pest Control, Wisconsin Pest Control, Wyoming Pest Control | 1 Comment »

Ant: The Pavement Ant

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

One of the many varieties of ants is the pavement ant. This ant gets its name because it usually makes its home on or under pavement. When you see those little dirt looking mounds on the sidewalk or flushed up to the foundation of a building, those are where pavement ants hangout.

ant pavement ant

Here is a mound that pavement ants have built on a cracks of a side walk.

The piles of dirt are actually soil particles that they have moved from their colonies, usually the colonies are nearby or under the pavement where the mound is located. Pavement ants will make their colonies under things like sidewalks, building slabs, large rocks, wood, and or boards. Lawns and anywhere water might be are also popular spots for pavement ant colonies. As the pavement ants build their colonies they can become very territorial of them and during the spring there are often ant wars over territory on the sidewalks where they reside.

These pavement ants that go to war seem pretty scary, but for the most part they usually don’t bother people unless people bother them – for instance, destroying their mound on the sidewalk. Don’t forget ant bites are never fun to get.

ant pavement ant

Here is an up close image of the pavement ant.

Pavement ants are dark brown to black in color and are small, measuring about one-eighth of an inch long. Their body parts help distinguish that they are pavement ants too. They have an uneven thorax with 1 pair of spines, grooves on the thorax and head, and two pedicels that connect the thorax and abdomen. These traits are hard to see on such tiny insects, but are visible once you get up close. Another trait is that some of the pavement ants have wings. Like other ants, there are the workers, swarmers and Queen. In the pavement variety of ants the swarmers have wings, and are twice as large as the workers.

The swarmers are also the reproducers. They mate with the Queens who will bury her eggs in soil. Often the soil is the location for the new colony that this group of workers will help start. The swarmer’s only job is to mate with the Queen, and reproduction is at its highest in spring and summer. As the eggs hatch and the ants develop, they will spend that time about two to three months, tending to the Queen of their colony. Once the workers develop into adults they will continue helping the colony. One very important thing for workers to do is to get food.

ant pavement ant

These pavement ants are eating away at a sunflower seed shell, see they will eat anything.

The pavement worker ants leave the colony to find food. They will eat pretty much anything they can find, although they prefer things like greasy food, sweets, fruits, and insects — dead or alive. As they leave the colony in search of food, ants leave a trail behind them in order to know where to go back for more food and how to get back to the colony. Their journey in search of food can take the pavement ant up to 30 feet away from the colony. If there is a home, office, or restaurant within that 30 feet radius, the pavement ants may make their way into them to find a meal. This is usually the ant that people find in their kitchens, and so on. The pavement ant will really only go inside to find food, otherwise it stays outside.

Although depending on the location of the colony there are rare occasions that the pavement ants will migrate into homes for heat during the winter. If this does occur, the pavement ants will reside within walls, under floors, or inside insulation. So homeowners won’t really see that they are there, until they come out looking for food. This can become a problem as the pavement ants can contaminate the food with their waste. If you see pavement ants inside your home — no matter what season — call your local pest control company to get rid of the ants.

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Arizona Pest Control, Colorado Pest Control, Connecticut Pest Control, Delaware Pest Control, General Information, Illinois Pest Control, Indiana Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Iowa Pest Control, Kansas Pest Control, Kentucky Pest Control, Maine Pest Control, Maryland Pest Control, Massachusetts Pest Control, Pavement Ant, Pests, Spring Pest Control Problems, Winter Pest Control Problems | 3 Comments »

Flies: The Cluster Fly

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

The cluster fly is a nuisance pest for homeowners. It does not bite people, carry diseases, no cause any real damage to a home. Cluster flies are about five-sixteenths of an inch long; they are gray with golden-toned hairs on their thorax. Spotting them is easy because they are usually all clustered together on walls outside, sunning themselves. This is also where their name comes from, because when resting they usually will be clustered near each other. The cluster flies are similar to many other pests as they just want to get inside houses to stay warm. With this in mind, the winter time is when people will most often find cluster flies inside their homes.

flies cluster fly

Here is a close up of a cluster fly.

In order to get inside homes, cluster flies search for any small openings outside that will get them into the house. Also when windows or doors are open, that becomes a great entry opportunity for the cluster flies. Cluster flies will start entering homes in the fall, as the weather begins to cool down. By the winter most cluster flies will now be hibernating within a warm home. While hibernating the cluster fly is not very active, so a homeowner might not even know they are there. Although there are occasions where the cluster flies will come out in the day to sun themselves. Even though the cluster flies are in a warm house, they still enjoy sunning themselves in actual sunlight. If homeowners were to spot them it would be near the windows of the home; otherwise they pretty much stay in their hibernation spots. The areas of a home that the cluster flies like to hibernate in are the attics and wall voids. The cluster fly is also known as an attic fly because that is their most popular spot to be found. Cluster flies also like to be higher up, hence the attic as a popular hibernation spot. Many times people may spot them in their attics because they all clustered together once they are in there. Seeing a big blackish looking spot in your attic might be frightening, but it is probably just cluster flies once you look up close. Once spring starts to turn the cluster flies will leave the house and venture back outside. Once outside again they will mate and eat, neither of which they do during hibernation.

Now that spring is here and the cluster flies are back outside mating will begin. The cluster flies reproduce very frequently. The females do not have to do much; all they do is mate then they lay the eggs. The eggs are laid in soil near earthworms. About three days later the eggs will hatch and the larvae will migrate towards the earthworms, and then burrow inside of the earthworms. The rest of the development is done inside the earthworm using it as a food source. Once fully developed the cluster fly will be on its own. This cycle will continue from the spring to the summer. During this time up to four generations or more can be made. As summer comes to an end and fall approaches the cluster flies will have to look for another home, or the same home, to hibernate in.

flies cluster fly

These cluster flies are sunning themselves outside, and are probably looking for entry points into the house at the same time.

Often times cluster flies find the entry points into homes on the exterior walls while sunning themselves throughout the year. As the weather gets cooler they will use these entry points to get inside a warm home. Then the cycle will just continue and repeat itself from hibernating to mating and so on.

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Cluster Fly, Colorado Pest Control, Connecticut Pest Control, General Information, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Pests, Winter Pest Control Problems | 2 Comments »

Wasps: Bald Faced Hornets Life Cycle

Monday, January 25th, 2010

The life cycle of the bald faced hornet also resembles that of the yellow jacket. These two wasps have many similarities, yet they have their differences that make them the creatures they are. Unlike the yellow jackets the bald faced hornets have just one colony that they all live in. Everything happens within the nest, from taking care of the Queen, the Queen laying eggs, feeding the larvae, and protecting the hive. The bald faced hornet is not a problem during the winter. This is due to the fact that usually the Queens are the only ones to survive during the winter because they hibernate during the winter. Then comes spring and the lives of the bald faced hornet will begin again. The bald faced hornet life cycle starts in spring when they will form a colony throughout the year, and then in winter the workers, drones, and old Queens will die; leaving just the new Queens alive so they can go hibernate.

  • Queens come out of hibernation, and select a new spot to make a nest.
  • Sometimes worker bald faced hornets may have survived the winter if they found a warm place to stay, but it is very rare.
  • The Queen will lay her eggs inside the nest.
  • Once the eggs hatch the workers will take over the care of the larvae.
  • Once the larvae have grown they will become workers, and help expand the nest; and help with all of the other worker bald faced hornet duties.
  • While the queen is inside the nest she lays more eggs. When these eggs hatch they become drones which are males who are just needed to reproduce and new Queens who will be the egg carriers into the following spring.
  • Once the drones and new queens mature they will mate, shortly after the drones will die.
  • The new Queen will then start to look for a place to hibernate. She likes to find a protective place such as attics, tree trunks, hollow trees, or underground to hibernate.
  • During the fall workers begin to dwindle away and die. The Queen will also dwindle away, as the new queen will be hibernating at this time.
  • Since the nest has been abandoned at this point it will decompose and disintegrate, this also occurs due to the weather.
  • Then when spring rolls around the cycle will just repeat itself.
  • Also a new nest is always built, the bald faced hornets will never go back into an old nest, yet they might build a new one very close to the old one.
wasps bald faced hornets life cycle

Here is a bald faced hornet nest that has been destroyed, yet there are still eggs and larvae inside. The white sacs are the larvae, and the yellow sacs are the eggs.

wasps bald faced hornet life cycle

Here is a bald faced hornet hatching!

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Arkansas Pest Control, Bald Faced Hornet, Connecticut Pest Control, General Information, Georgia Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Pests | 1 Comment »

Wasps: Bald Faced Hornets Are Actually a Type of Wasp

Monday, January 25th, 2010

The bald faced hornet is actually a wasp, not a hornet. This variety of social wasp is similar to the yellow jacket. Like the yellow jacket, the bald faced hornets have a Queen whose entire purpose is to reproduce for the colony. The most obvious difference between the yellow jacket and the bald faced hornet is their coloring. The yellow jacket is bright yellow with black markings, while the bald faced hornet is black with white markings. The white markings are on the front of the head, and some at the end of the abdomen. The coloring alone makes the bald faced hornet stand out more than any other wasp. The body of the bald faced hornet is about three fourths of an inch long. Another similarity the yellow jacket and the bald faced hornet have is that they can sting a person repeatedly. Unlike most bees their stinger is smooth and will not break off, and can be used over and over again to sting people.

wasp bald faced hornet

Here is a bald faced hornet, notice the white markings on the body. There's no yellow on this type of wasp, so it confuses people.

The bald faced hornet colony is made up of the Queen, workers, drones, and new Queens. Their life cycle is also similar to the yellow jackets. Within the colony the workers protect the Queen, and work for her so she can reproduce. The workers are also in charge of foraging for food for everyone in the colony to eat. Bald faced hornets eat nectar, sap, honeydew, and over ripe fruit. Of course the worker bald faced hornet does more than watch over the Queen and find food, they are the busiest of all the bald faced hornets.

In most cases another duty that the worker usually has is stinging people, since the Queen stays safe inside the nest the workers are there to sting anyone or anything that may bother them. However, being stung by a bald faced hornet can for the most part be avoided. Bald faced hornets only sting a person when they feel threatened or their space has been invaded. The invasion of space usually occurs when a person tries to approach a bald faced hornet nest. They are very protective of their nests, and if a person comes within three feet of the nest the bald faced hornet will become defensive and start to attack. One job that a worker bald faced hornet has is to guard and protect the nest, so imagine how territorial they are. Not only that, but there can be up to 800 bald faced hornets in the nest at one time. You wouldn’t want to be the one to invade their space and upset 800 bald faced hornets.

The nest itself is made up of small pieces of wood particles that the bald faced hornets chew up; and a chemical in their saliva turns the wood into a paper like substance. The worker bald faced hornets then use the paper like material to build the nest. The nest can grow as round as a basketball while maintaining the shape of a football, it has up to four layers of combs, and one entry hole at the bottom. Often times the bald faced hornets nest are made within trees, shrubs, meadows, forest edges, and or gardens. Sometimes the nest will be made closer to people like in the sides of buildings, utility poles, under roof overhangs, under decks or porches, sheds, wall voids, and or crawlspaces. With these locations there is a higher risk of a person coming in contact with a bald faced hornet, so homeowners need to be aware of these spots as possible nest locations. Check these areas of your home; if you see any type of nest it is best to call your local pest control company out to handle the nest. Only professionals should handle the removal of the nest, it can be very risky to do yourself. No one wants to be the one to invade a bald faced hornet’s space and risk being stung multiple times.

wasp bald faced hornet

Yikes! This bald faced hornet nest was made under a roof hang right by an entry point to the house. This is extremely dangerous and should be taken care of right away by calling your local pest control company.

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Arkansas Pest Control, Bald Faced Hornet, Connecticut Pest Control, Fall Pest Control Problems, General Information, Georgia Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Pests | 2 Comments »

Pest Control Problems During the Winter

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Winter wonderlands are great places for people to enjoy the season and all of the holidays that are celebrated during the winter. Ironically people’s homes are winter wonderlands for pests. Yes, pests are a year round problem that homeowners have to deal with, but during the winter is when pest invasions are on the rise. There might not be as many pests during the winter as there are in the spring, but the risk of pests wanting to get into homes is much higher. If you already have pest control services set up make sure you have them year round and not seasonally.

pest control problems in winter

With snow and bare trees there aren't many places for pests to live outside during the winter.

The main reason pest invasions are on the rise in the winter is that pests are looking for a warm and dry place to stay. Some pests will actually hibernate within your home because of the warmth. While other pests will remain active once they’re gotten into a warm home. Having active pests inside your home during winter can be very dangerous as they can spread their diseases. Also while in your home pests can cause serious damage to wires, beams, and so forth.

The active pests that are inside a home will be looking for food, so keep all food stored properly and do not leave fruit out in fruit bowls. If pests walk on your countertops or on any food that’s left out they can transfer their bacteria etc. that they carry onto those surfaces and food. This is the most common way for people to physically suffer from pests, other than being bitten. Also pests will be leaving droppings which are contaminated with diseases and can cause harm to people. Keep an eye out for any droppings, especially in attics, basements, corners, etc. If you do find droppings call your local pest control service right away, as this is a sign of pest activity. If there are large amounts of droppings it can be hazardous to your health so do not try to remove the mess yourself, again call a professional out to your home.

During the winter it is best to maintain any preventative methods that you do throughout the year; by maintaining these methods in the winter your home will also be ready for the spring problems. The best way to think of your house, in order to protect it from pests, is that inside your home it is like spring year round. Even though pest problems are year round, spring is the highest peak of pest population indoors and outdoors. So if during the coldest time of year the home feels like spring you are sure to have some pests trying to get inside. Here are some of the most common winter pests by state:

If you do not see the state you reside in on this list please check back as more states are still being added to our database. Also the database is still adding more and more pests, so if you have a problem with a pest and don’t see it listed in the database please continue to visit www.localpestcontrolservices.com as pests are continually being added.

Picture courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

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Spider: The Yellow Sac Spider

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Yellow sac spiders can be found all across the United States. Not only is the yellow sac spider found all over the United States it also accounts for more spider bites than any other type of spider in the United States. That is a lot of bites to be caused by yellow sac spiders; unfortunately the number is so high because many times the yellow sac spider bites are misdiagnosed. The symptoms of the bite are similar to the bite from a brown recluse spider, but the yellow sac symptoms are not as severe. Therefore many times physicians diagnose the bite victim as being bit by the yellow sac spider; when in fact, it could have been a brown recluse spider, but the symptoms have not fully developed.

Since the yellow sac spider and the brown recluse spider bites are so similar it is important to know what to do in any case of getting bit by a spider. Read more about what steps to take if bitten by a yellow sac spider in our first aid for spider bites blog. Also it is important to know what a yellow sac spider looks like in order to help identify what kind of bite you may have gotten.

Often times people are bitten in the middle of the night, and may have no idea what really bit them. Other times when people get bit they see the spider, in this case it is best to try to catch the spider or bug that way the doctor can properly diagnose the bite. The yellow sac spider is about the size of a nickel, on average. The yellow sac spider has a body that ranges from one-fourth of an inch to three-eights of an inch long. The eight legs span about an inch in length, and the first set of legs are longer than the other six legs.

spider yellow sac spider

Yellow sac spider.

Another interesting fact is that the males are generally smaller than the female yellow sac spiders. Like most other spiders the yellow sac spider has eight eyes, and their eyes sit in two horizontal lines of four eyes. Also around their feet they have a darker looking coloring to them, it is actually dark dense hair. There is also a darker stripe down the abdomen. Considering the name of the yellow sac spider most people would assume the spider is yellow. Some are yellow tones, while others can range from an orange tone to a green tone. It has been said that the color of the yellow sac spider sometimes depends on what it has most recently eaten, but some do not think that is where the coloring of the yellow sac spider comes from.

The yellow sac spider eats many things, while it mostly hunts for small insects and other spiders. During the fall the yellow sac spider will usually migrate into homes in search of food. While in the summer the yellow sac spider has plenty of food outdoors to feed on, although that doesn’t mean they won’t try to go into houses.

For the most part, yellow sac spiders live outdoors. Outside the yellow sac spider can be found in places like trees, low vegetation and shrubs. Even though the yellow sac spider lives mostly outdoors it can be found within homes. No matter where the yellow sac spider is living it will always make itself a sac to rest in and spend its days. Being a sac spider, the yellow sac spider does not spin a web; rather they make silken sacs to reside in. The sac is also used as a place for them to sleep during the day and hibernate in the winters. Also, the yellow sac spider will spin a sac for its eggs to stay protected in, and for the spiderlings to molt in. The sac is also a way for people to identify that their home may be infested with yellow sac spiders.

If yellow sac spiders have migrated into a home they still will make their sacs to live in. Most often they will set up shop in corners or ceilings of walls. These spots make it easy for people to notice the sacs and proceed from there, the best plan being to call your local pest control company out to your home. Yellow sac spiders look for small places where they can be protected from predators. Many times these areas are the hidden areas inside a home; like the closet, basements, window sills, behind furniture, along baseboards, or in doorframes. The yellow sac spider can crawl up to high to places because they are good climbers. Also their silk can be used as a bridge from one object to a next, especially from high to low places. This tool comes in use both indoors and outdoors for the yellow sac spider. There are also places outdoors where the sacs may be hiding, like under foliage, leaves, stones, or wood. Many people may come in contact with these areas while outside doing yard work or gardening. So be aware of the yellow sac spider inside your home out outside of your home. Here are some tips for preventing yellow sac spiders from getting near your home.

Yellow sac spiders are nocturnal so homeowners won’t really see them running around in the day. Therefore the risk of being bit is higher at night when the yellow sac spiders are running around your house hunting for food. Sometimes the yellow sac spider may crawl into your bed or couch; this is when most bites occur. While people are in bed sleeping or on the couch watching TV or if the yellow sac spider is in your sheets or on your cushions it may panic and feel threatened by your body and therefore will attack or bite you.

The yellow sac spider creates about one generation a year. The female usually will lay her eggs in the summer. She will deposit them into a sac to keep them protected. In this sac will be anywhere from 30-50 eggs. During the process of the eggs developing the female will stay near the sac to protect it. Once the eggs have hatched they will become spiderlings and molt for about two weeks. After that period the spiderlings will set out on their own venture. From there the cycle will just repeat itself, and there will be more and more yellow sac spiders out in the world.

Picture courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Connecticut Pest Control, Delaware Pest Control, Distric of Columbia, Fall Pest Control Problems, General Information, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Pests, Yellow Sac Spider | 5 Comments »

Spider: Yellow Sac Spider Prevention Tips

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Preventing yellow sac spiders is just like preventing any other pest, the only difference is the damage they can cause. No one wants pests, more so yellow sac spiders, in their home. Nor does anyone want to take the risk of being bitten by a yellow sac spider. Follow these steps to help prevent yellow sac spiders from invading your home:

  • Keep all beds from touching the wall.
  • If you have a bed skirt either move it so that it doesn’t touch the floor or just completely remove it.
  • Before wearing any clothes that come out of your closet shake them out.
  • Keep closets, attics, basements, and other storage areas clean.
  • Vacuum regularly, don’t forget the undisturbed areas like behind furniture.
  • Keep clutter out of your house.
  • Place sticky traps behind furniture and other large objects that yellow sac spiders might hide behind, like appliances, credenzas, or armoires.
  • Make sure screens on doors, vents, etc. are installed correctly, and that there are no tears in them.
  • Seal any holes around pipes that go into the house, check basements and crawl spaces.
  • Install weather stripping on doors and windows.
  • Seal any cracks or crevices in the homes foundation.
  • Remove leaf litter, vegetation and spider webs that are adjacent to the house. A powerful hose should do the trick for the webs, etc.
  • Store wood piles away from the home.
  • Wear gloves when outdoors either gardening or working with things like wood or rocks.
  • Cut trees and shrubs back so they do not touch the roof or walls of the house.
  • Switch outdoor lights to yellow. As the yellow lights do not attract as many insects, i.e. yellow sac spider food.
  • Keep the use of outdoor lights to a minimum.

Posted in Connecticut Pest Control, Delaware Pest Control, Distric of Columbia, Fall Pest Control Problems, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Pests, Prevention, Yellow Sac Spider | 1 Comment »

Spider: The Yellow Sac Spider Bite- First Aid Tips

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Getting a bite from a yellow sac spider sounds much worse than it really is, unless you are allergic. Any kind of bite seems to terrify people and for good reason, some insect venoms are very poisonous. Luckily, the yellow sac spider has venom that is not as poisonous as other insects or spiders. Many people confuse the bite from a yellow sac spider with the bite from a brown recluse spider, which is much more poisonous. The initial symptoms are very similar. The problem is that later on if the symptoms become more severe, you know it was a brown recluse and not a yellow sac spider. Many times because of the similar symptoms, the bite of a brown recluse spider is misdiagnosed as a yellow sac spider. This has resulted in the yellow sac spider being known for being one of the most common spider bites people get in the United Sates.

If you are bitten by a yellow sac spider there are some basic first aid steps to follow. Other than the symptoms that become apparent these steps can be used to help relieve the pain etc. in any occurrence of a spider bite.

  • Bites often occur in bed when the yellow sac spider gets stuck in the sheets. Also, when hiding in things like the couch, shoes, or clothes.
  • When a person gets bit they will feel a sharp pain, similar to the pain one would get from a wasp sting.
  • The bite mark will become red and filled with puss within eight hours of the bite happening.
  • Clean the bite with hydrogen peroxide.
  • Apply an antiseptic like iodine.
  • Ice the bite mark, and also elevate the area that has been bitten.
  • Other physical side affects symptoms people will start to have can be nausea, fever, skin necrosis, and stomach cramps.
  • If these symptoms are present go to a doctor as soon as possible, as there is a chance of being allergic to the yellow sac spider’s venom.
  • If at all possible take the spider that bit you to the doctor for a proper diagnosis.
  • The red mark will harden as it heals, and can take up to a few weeks to do so.
  • While the bite is healing make sure to keep it extremely clean. Clean it thoroughly on a daily basis so that it does not get infected. If necessary, go to your doctor for an antibiotic to help as well.

Posted in Connecticut Pest Control, Delaware Pest Control, Distric of Columbia, Fall Pest Control Problems, First Aid, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Pests, Yellow Sac Spider | 2 Comments »

Ant: Tips for Preventing Carpenter Ants

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Carpenter ants can be a huge frustration to a homeowner. It can be time consuming to try to find the main source of the carpenter ants, the colony. Also there can be multiple colonies, adding to the frustration. The best thing to do is have your local pest control service come out and examine your home. Many times if there is a colony inside there is a larger colony outside. Like many other pests problems homeowners face there are some basic prevention tips to help keep carpenter ants outside of your home. Here is a list of things homeowners can do to avoid a carpenter ant invasion.

  • Eliminate any moisture sources. Correct roof leaks, plumbing leaks, and any other moisture problems.
    • Replace any damaged wood.
  • Get rid of anything that is wood to ground contact. If necessary elevate the wood with concrete pier blocks.
  • Stack firewood away from the homes foundation and elevate it off of the ground. Always keep outside in an open area, like the backyard.
  • Trim or clip any tree branches or vegetation touching the roof or siding of the house.
  • Remove logs, stumps, and waste wood near or under your home.
  • Add a gravel or stone strip around your house.
  • Make sure all window and door frames do not contact the soil of your yard.
  • Seal or caulk any cracks in foundation, openings in foundations, entry points on the house, and around electrical and water lines / pipes.
  • Check any crawl spaces, attics, and basements to make sure they are well-ventilated, and have no moist or damp areas.
  • Clean any clogged gutters to prevent water damage.

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Carpenter Ant, Colorado Pest Control, Connecticut Pest Control, Distric of Columbia, Fall Pest Control Problems, Florida Pest Control, Georgia Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Pests, Prevention | No Comments »

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