Houseflies are scavengers and land on us because they like us: The human body, like some of their favorite food sources — feces, food and rotting flesh — radiates a sense of warmth and nourishment. And while not interested in biting, the common housefly, or musca domestica, does want to suck up the salt, dead skin, oil and whatever they find edible on the exposed epidermis with their straw-like tongues.
Thanks to hearty appetites aided by an excellent sense of smell and a pair of complex eyes that cover half of their heads, houseflies also land on us and everything else in sight because they’re constantly on the hunt for a nice warm place to poop, vomit and lay eggs. This charming land-and-defecate-everywhere routine has made flies vectors of communicable diseases, ranging from typhoid to tuberculosis. The pathogens transmitted by houseflies, picked up after feasting on things like dung heaps and dead animals, are carried on their legs and around their mouths. Think about it: Each time a fly lands on your arm or takes a stroll around the rim of your mug of morning coffee, it could be shaking a whole lot of germs off of its hairy little legs.
The easiest, most inexpensive way to make the area in and around your home a “no fly” zone as you put it is to take basic preventative measures. If you have a dog and aren’t quick to pick up and dispose of its poop you should start making this your number one priority. There’s a reason why the filthy, winged critters love dog poop: It serves as both an all-you-can-eat buffet and an ideal egg depository. Also, don’t leave food out for too long, maintain a clean and tidy house (pay special attention to kitchen surfaces), empty your garbage cans regularly and keep an eye out for organic rotting matter. It’s about keeping a spic-and-span, sanitary home.
If houseflies keep on inviting themselves into your home, you should obviously shut windows and doors but also check for cracks and holes (particularly around window screens).
We your friends at Southern Pest Control hope this information was helpful. Please remember when you have unwanted pests or animal problems our expert technicians are there to help. Just call our office at 800 527-9832 to set up a free estimate inspection. We have been serving the Gulf Coast for over 39 years. Please visit our website at www.southernpestcontrol.biz to meet our team and learn more about our services
Are you as a Homeowner still asking questions Pest Control Services & the Pandemic? Pest management professionals are critical to protecting public health. Arthropod and vertebrate pests do not decrease because we have a human crisis. They can actually become a more serious problem. The warmer hot seasons of Spring and Summer came all at once due to the mild winter he experienced again this year. We are experiencing an increase in rodents in major cities across the nation with restaurants closed and as we all are work through social distancing, wearing masks and staying at home.
While it is true that most healthy people infected with the virus will have mild symptoms, some may be asymptomatic for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and unknowingly transmit it to others. A person is considered asymptomatic if he or she is a carrier for a disease pathogen but experiences no symptoms. It is important for the customer and the pest control technician to practice social distancing and wear masks to help protect each other and their families.
All pest control employee and customer safety should be a top priority with pest control companies. Since Pest Control Operators are considered an essential service, each operator can decide what services they will offer and how they will offer them. It is each operator’s responsibility to move forward under the new conditions safely. The only way to do this is for you to analyze as much credible information as possible, then adjust their business’ current standard operating procedure.
We at Southern Pest Control take Customer and Employee Safety as our number one priority. We want to assure our customers that we are taking all necessary pre-cautions to protect you and your family when preforming our services at your home or offices. All of our technicians have appropriate protective gear when preforming pest control services.
We have been serving the Entire Gulf Coast region for over 39 years with trained professionals prepared to ensure that your home or offices are safe and free from any unwanted pests. We will continue to do so safely in our current environment. Please visit our website at https://southernpestcontrol.biz to meet our team and all the services we offer. Please do not hesitate to call us at 800 527-9832 if you need our help, our knowledge staff is ready to answer your questions and schedule a technician to handle your pest problems.
We will all continue to get through these trying times together and become a stronger community when this is over.
There are a few pests you need to be on the outlook for in February. February’s normal cold weather drives rodents and insects indoors, invading your home and offices to find a warm place for shelter and food to eat. Some of these February pests can cause serious damage to your home as well s be bothersome to you and your family.
Here are some pests to be on the outlook for in the month of February.
Mice and Rat
These February pests don’t hibernate, posing a year-round threat to your property, pets, and family members. They can get in through tiny, hard-to-spot holes and will gnaw through anything they can get their teeth around. Mice and rats can damage the insulation, drywall, support beams, wiring, and pipes in your home, and will contaminate food areas with their droppings. They also carry many diseases. You don’t want to come in contact with rats or mice to be infected. They also spread their diseases through their droppings, urine, and saliva.
Roaches
Your home is a roach’s ideal habitat, because they seek out food and like the moisture your house will possess. They’re often found in kitchens, bathrooms, and basements, or near water sources such as drains, refrigerators, sinks, and washing machines. They spread bacteria and contaminate any food that they come in contact with.
Raccoons
Raccoons have been known to enter homes through attics or chimneys on their search for a place to create their den and can be very difficult to remove once they get inside your home. They’re strong and will destroy your attic if they get inside by ripping through insulation, pipes, and ducts. Raccoons are a major host of rabies, so you should never try to remove a raccoon on your own. Contact a Pest Control or Animal Removal Professional to handle this situation.
Centipedes
Centipedes are February pests as well. They are often found in dark, moist, and secluded areas, such as basements, closets, bathrooms, and garages. You may also see them inside around doorways and windows or crawling along your baseboards. Their bite is similar to a bee sting, which may cause numbness, inflammation, and discoloration. Centipedes seek out other pests for their food source, so if you see them in your home, there may be other pests already inside.
We at Southern Pest Control have been handling pest and unwanted animal issues in the Gulf Coast Region for over 38 years. Please call us at 800 527-9832 if we can help. Also visit our website at https://www.southernpestcontrol.biz/ to meet our team of professionals and review all the services we offer.
Damage from rabbits is almost always the result of their appetite for our plants. They eat flower and vegetable plants in spring and summer and the bark of fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs in the fall and winter.
There are several species of wild rabbits—most are called cottontail —who, between them, live across most of North America. Cottontails like to live at the edges of open areas. In fact, they are rarely found in dense forests or open grassland.
This love of edges means they love our suburbs. Yards, parks, playgrounds, and office parks, often with small natural buffers in between, have lots of edges between small areas of different habitats that rabbits love.
Here today, gone tomorrow is one way to describe rabbits in suburbia. Given the many predators who make meals of them, their populations can rise and fall dramatically over the course of a year. Sometimes, by doing nothing and letting nature take its own course, the homeowner sees the same result as they might from trying to “control” rabbits.
Here are some are some tips when dealing with rabbits.
- Make sure it is a rabbit. A deer will eat many of the same things rabbits eat. Twigs browsed by rabbits look neatly clipped but plants browsed by deer appear ragged and torn.
- A well-built fence is probably the most effective way to protect your plants from rabbits. Two-foot high chicken wire supported by posts every six to eight feet is strong enough to keep rabbits out. Stake the bottom securely to the ground to prevent rabbits from pushing underneath it.
- Movable fence panels can protect the garden right after the first planting, when damage is likely to be most severe, and go in the shed, barn, or garage the rest of the year.
- Commercial tree wraps or plastic tree guards can keep rabbits from nibbling bark. Cylinders of hardware cloth or poultry wire can work as well. These barriers should be as high as usual snow depth plus eighteen inches. Young trees and saplings are more vulnerable so focus on protecting them.
- If necessary, chemical repellents can be used. Chemical repellents can protect small plots and individual plants. Just be careful not to use this on plants that people will eat.
We at Southern Pest Control hope you found this information helpful. Whether it be pest control or animal removal, we at Southern Pest Control can help. We have been in the business for over 38 years serving the Gulf Coast Region. Please call us at 800 527-9832 or visit our website at https://www.southernpestcontrol.biz/ to meet our team and review all the services we offer.
Pest control service forms an integral part of responsible housekeeping. It is essentially required for living safely in homes for a long time. Householders are often faced with recurring pest control problems despite their best efforts in keeping the house tidy and free of clutter.
It is not unusual for homeowners to keep making efforts to eliminate the problem of pests on their own. Unfortunately, the only means available to them are ready-to-use sprays that seem to drive away the pests, but these unwanted guests simply reappear after a short gap, and in much larger numbers. That is because pests get used to the same spray, which gradually proves ineffective for eliminating them. Whether you are living in a mansion, an apartment or a condo, you always stand the risk of getting your place infested with pests of some kind or the other.
Well, that doesn’t imply that you should learn to live with these creatures, allowing them to take over your house. Nowadays, there are many ways to control pests and you don’t need to use harmful chemicals in all cases. At the same time, you should understand that certain types of pests can’t be eliminated totally for good, but it is possible to manage them and have the situation under your control. However, you should know the options available to you for a successful control over pests.
This is where pest control services come into picture. Professional pest control companies have trained and experienced staff and, when inspecting your property and its neighborhoods, they can identify the kind of pests, plus their point of entry on your property. Once the cause and type of pests is identified, the company knows the best way of eliminating those pests. Other than offering you the most effective plan for eliminating the pests from your home, companies providing professional services will also give you helpful tips and suggestions to keep pests away from your house in the future. These companies have the required equipment and materials for liberating your property of pests.
You should know that pests get multiplied very fast. So their total removal will take some time. The pest removing companies know what they are handling, and they will come back after a definite period and offer re-treatment, if needed. Their personnel are trained to handle special equipment and, at times, harmful chemicals, without exposing you or your family and pets to any risks whatsoever.
Competent companies offering to undertake pest control measures for your property have specific plans that take into consideration not only the kind of pests infesting your property, but also the size of your property. This means using the optimum measures while charging you accordingly, as well as the delivery of results as expected by you. That helps saving your money, as you won’t have to incur expenses for repairs that might become necessary in case you decide to handle the problem yourself, or if your home were not inspected.
When looking for the services of a pest control company, you need to search for one that will precisely inform you of the treatment that will be offered and its charges, the products that they are going to employ, and the risks to which the occupants of the house may be exposed. A good company will also offer a guarantee and their employees will return in case pests continue to persist.
Before finalizing a contract with any pest control company, you should check
their credentials, how long they have been in the same business, the prices to
be paid and the treatment plan, plus its guarantee.
We at Southern Pest Control have been serving the Entire Gulf Coast region for over 38 years. Our staff are true professionals that know what it takes to rid you of any pest problem. Please call us at 800 527-9832 if we can help. Also you can visit our website at https://www.southernpestcontrol.biz to learn more about us and meet our staff.
Pests like cockroaches, ants, mice, and mosquitoes are annoying pests, but usually only during certain months of the year. Our heat wave and heavy rainfall keeps a lot of pests that usually go away come fall and winter still hanging around. But in the colder months these 2 pests are always a possible problem to deal with- Mice Rats Squirrels
- Mice and Rats
Mice and rats will seek shelter and warmth during the cold winter months. They can fit through very small openings so eliminating entry points is an effective way at preventing them from coming into your home. Here are some helpful tips.
Eliminating food and water sources is also effective.
Replace damaged roof tiles and fill any cracks in the roofing cement.
Keep your attics and garages tidy and clutter free.
Store your items in plastic containers versus cardboard.
Store food in airtight containers and don’t leave any dirty dishes in the sink. Empty your trash regularly and make sure trash can lids are secure. Don’t leave trash bags out in the open.
Clean countertops, stoves, and behind the fridge regularly and sweep and vacuum often.
Don’t leave pet food out overnight and seal unused pet food in airtight containers. Replace weather-stripping on windows and doors.
- Squirrels
They like to frequent attics and chimneys to make their nests. Cover chimneys with chimney caps. Keep shrubbery trimmed away from the house and cut down overhanging limbs. Replace rotting wood and seal any entry points including where pipes and utilities come into the home and overhanging eaves. You may need to have a professional check for all the possible entry spots because once they come in for the winter, it becomes a duel problem. One getting them out safely and two repairing any damage they may do to wires, etc. in your attic.
We at Southern Pest Control can eliminate either of these pests before an infestation occurs in your home. We have been serving the Gulf Coast for over 38 years with well trained professionals. Please visit our website at www.southernpestcontrol.biz to meet our team and learn about all the services we offer. We are proud to be a member of many local community organizations in the Gulf Coast Region.
Well whether Winter or Summer, we at Southern Pest Control are here to help protect your home and offices from unwanted pests year-round. We have been in the pest control business for over 37 years with trained professionals ready to identify your pest problem and insure that your home is protected. Please call us if we can help. Also visit our website, www.southernpestcontrol.biz to meet our team and learn more about us.
All insects have some ability to withstand cold weather. One of the most common strategies is to bury themselves underground, beneath leaf litter, or to burrow under tree bark for protection and hibernate for the season. These protective maneuvers work well most winters, allowing insect populations to remain relatively stable.
Warmer than average winters over the last few decades, however, has allowed the populations of some types of creepy crawlies to explode. When winter temperatures never reach a truly deep freeze, bugs make it through to spring unscathed and ready to multiply.
For instance, Lyme-disease-carrying deer ticks — which are not actually insects, but eight-legged arachnids, like spiders — are now seen in larger quantities and have spread farther to the north than they once roamed.
When temperatures drop well below 0° F, though, many individual insects die. The colder the temperature becomes, the fewer survive.
Fleas, however, are a year-round nuisance, but they can die off outside when outside temperatures dip below freezing. In fact, once the temperatures fall to 37 degrees F, it’s cold enough to kill mature fleas as well as eggs, larvae and pupae. But those temps need to be sustained for 10 days or longer outside.
Inside the home, however, where it’s nice and toasty warm, fleas survive all winter long no matter what the temperature is outdoors. Often the pupae can go dormant in cool areas like basements or crevices in the home, then re-infest once the temperatures warm up again. You may need to treat pets year-round.
Temperature has a strong influence on termite activity–both on a daily and seasonal basis. Termites exposed to freezing temperatures without shelter are usually killed within a short period of time.
Well whether Winter or Summer, we at Southern Pest Control are here to help protect your home and offices from unwanted pests year-round. We have been in the pest control business for over 38 years with trained professionals ready to identify your pest problem and insure that your home is protected. Please call us if we can help 800 527-9832. Also visit our website, www.southernpestcontrol.biz to meet our team and learn more about us.
Mold in Crawl Spaces -Crawl spaces are as vulnerable to mold growth as any part of your home due to the high moisture and humidity levels often found in these spaces.
Why is moisture accumulation so common in crawl spaces? Consider the location of the crawl space: it sits underneath your home right on top of the earth as your home’s foundation. Soil and dirt from the earth contain moisture. And moisture is one of two requirements for mold growth (the other being a food source such as the wood found in crawl space sub flooring). And since moisture forms so easily in confined areas, dirt crawl spaces are regular mold breeding grounds.
Moisture from dirt normally will evaporate into the atmosphere but can get trapped in a closed area like a crawl space. When moisture is not vented to the outside, it can start to condense on foundation walls or subflooring, which can be especially a problem if the sub flooring is wood (wood is a food source for mold).
Two other points to keep in mind about crawl spaces:
- Air travels from bottom to top. Thus, any moisture formed in crawl spaces will be carried by the moist air upwards to your living spaces naturally (or mechanically through the HVAC system), which can lead to mold growth beyond just the crawl space.
- You do not need standing water in crawl spaces to trigger mold growth. High humidity levels (above 60%) are enough to cause crawl space mold growth; And high humidity levels are very common in crawl spaces even in the absence of flooding!
At Southern Pest Control we offer CrawlSpace Care.
CrawlSpace Care is a system that was developed for closing and protecting your home’s crawl space. Using innovative technology, the CrawlSpace Care system reduces moisture underneath your home, which can lead to low energy bills and improved indoor air quality.
The CrawlSpace Care system protects your home from the bottom up and controls moisture with:
- High quality reinforced vapor liner to cover the ground and walls
- Taped seams
- Sealed foundation vents
- Mechanical drying
With CrawlSpace Care, you’re protected against:
- Condensational moisture
- High levels of humidity
- Ground moisture vapor
- Moisture intrusion from inside of the foundation walls
The air in the crawlspace will be cleaner, improving the air quality in your home. You can even monitor the conditions of your crawlspace right from the comfort of your home with the thermo-hygrometer.
Call us at Southern Pest Control at 800 527-9832 to set up a free estimate to learn more about treating molds issue in your crawl space area and learn more about CrawlSpace Care. Also visit our website www.southernpestcontrol.biz to meet our team and review all our services.
Lady Beetles, often called lady bugs, are not considered true bugs or insects.
They include more than 5,000 species worldwide, with more than 450 native to North America. They are about a quarter of an inch long, are oval ordome-shaped and are usually yellow, orange, or scarlet with small black spotson their wing covers. Their legs, head and antennae are black.
There is a myth about lady bugs that says the spots on their backs indicate
their age. Actually, the size and shape of the spots indicate the species of
the beetle. They are also a topic of a popular nursery rhymes. Ladybird,
Ladybird.
They are drawn to home vegetable gardens in search of food, primarily
soft-bodied insects such as aphids and scale. These voracious eaters are
anything but ladylike. Planting angelica or scented geraniums might also help attract Lady bugs to your garden
Aphids and scale are harmful to ornamental and vegetable crops, and lady bugs are a natural way of controlling these pests. In fact, the lady bug most
frequently seen in American gardens is the multicolored Asian lady beetle,
Harmonia axyridis, which was introduced by USDA Agricultural Research
scientists in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a biological control agent for
soft-bodied insects. You can actually purchase lady bugs if you like.
The only need to control lady bugs is when they enter your house, where the walls mimic the vertical cliffs where they overwinter in their home countries. The best way to keep them outdoors is to seal cracks and crevices and to make sure that doors, windows and screens have a tight seal. They want harm you or your family but can become a nuisance.
We at Southern Pest Control hope that you enjoyed this information. We have been serving this The Gulf Coast Region for over 38 years. All members of our staff are professionals and have received the needed training to safely rid your home and office of unwanted pests. Please call us at 800 527-9832 if we can help. Also, please visit our website at www.southernpestcontrol.biz to
meet our team and learn more about the services we offer.
Animal Remioval-Freezing temperatures are a challenging time for most animals in the wild. Raccoons combat these challenges through a series of physical and behavioral adaptations that keep them fed and warm through the cold months. Raccoons are omnivores, gaining nutrients from plants, animals, eggs, insects and human items such as food from garbage cans and small livestock. This ability to use any food source serves these animals well in the winter when many types of food are scarce. They typically make up their winter diets with acorns, corn, fruit, insects, crippled waterfowl and small animals, although they will take advantage of any local food source that presents itself.
Raccoons also seek out warm dens in the winter to help protect them from the elements. They most commonly seek out hollow trees, but are opportunistic about other options. Raccoons have been known to take over the underground burrows of other animals, use caves or make dens in abandoned buildings to keep warm. They sometimes den with other raccoons as well to take advantage of the mutual body heat, especially in severe winters.
How should you keep Raccoons away from your home?
- 1 – Seal shut all entry points into your house and attic
- 2 – Install an exclusion barrier around the perimeter of your shed or porch
- 3 – Keep pet food and bird seed indoors
- 4 – Strap down the lids of your garbage cans, tightly
- 5 – Block access to the pool or decorative pond
You need remember, repellent powders and sprays do not work, also water sprayers and sound machines will not work either. Your best solution is to have them safely trapped and removed. We at Southern Pest Control not only rid your insects and bugs. We can effectively remove any unwanted animals that are around your home. Please call us at 800 527-9832 if we can help. Also please visit our website at www.southernpestcontrol.biz to meet our team and review all the services we offer
