The Easiest Ways to Deal with Ants

When many homeowners get a visit from ants, they usually don’t hesitate to call the exterminators. Jacksonville, Florida actually benefits a lot from the little critters because they play a big part in the environment. If you’re one to panic over a few ants here and there, here are some tips to keep them away from your home in a natural, Earth-friendly way.

The most important thing you can do to minimize ant invasions is to keep your home as clean as possible. What a lot of people forget is that ants are motivated by one thing: food. This could mean the biscuit crumbs fell behind the couch. Or the forgotten can of soda on the bedside table. Or the bits and pieces of ingredients you used for that meal you made on the kitchen countertop. These things may barely count as ‘food’ to us, but are exactly the reasons why our homes are so attractive to ants.

Keeping our homes as clean as possible in something we all want and pursue anyway, and doing so to keep ants away is just a bonus! Know that cleanliness isn’t just for looks. Keeping soda lying around can lead to a nasty surprise when the ants find it, and they’ll probably assume there’s always delicious sugar available where you live.

One other precaution you can take is to make sure to kill individual ants whenever you find them. These are scouts, and when they get back to the colony, the others will follow soon. Ants also leave scent trails that lead others to the food. When you see an ant trail in your home, wipe it down with a mild vinegar solution to erase the scent trail.

Contrary to what you may believe, ants have their part to play in the environment, and before you call pest control services, Jacksonville, Florida residents, try these simpler methods.

Healthy Cohabitation with Wasps

Although wasps don’t create honey like bees, they don’t usually merit calling exterminators. Jacksonville, Florida residents are mostly aware of the role wasps play in the ecosystem as predators of more harmful pests. However, it can’t be denied that encountering wasps, especially inside the house, can be stressful and even downright frightening to some. Ideally, wasps should just be avoided, but what if they unknowingly intrude upon our space? Here are a few tips that can help if you find yourself with some unwanted winged visitors.

At around late summer to fall, wasps get drawn by sweets, so being extra careful with food and products that fall under this category can help a great deal with keeping wasps away without hurting them. Be on the lookout for unfinished bottles or cans of soda that may just be lying around, as well as soda spills. Fruit juices and exposed pieces of candy are notoriously omnipresent in homes with kids, and being extra vigilant with the littered sweets can keep children and wasps merrily apart.

It’s also important to let your family know that swatting and otherwise squishing wasps is not only useless, but actually quite harmful. Swatting a wasp releases pheromones that are designed to attract other wasps to avenge their sibling. When you encounter a wasp, just walk away.

Wearing bright clothes and perfume can also get unwanted attention from wasps. As silly as it may sound, looking like a bright-colored, fragrant flower is a surefire way to get a wasp’s attention if it’s looking for nectar.

For the most part, leaving wasps alone is best for everyone, but it is possible for a wasp infestation to occur if the situation has been unattended too long. In such cases, do not hesitate to avail of pest control services Jacksonville, Florida residents trust.

The Savage Garden: Three Plants That Can Act as Exterminators in Jacksonville

Quick! When you think about the best way to get rid of pests, what comes to mind? Maybe it's keeping your house clean. Maybe it's pesticides, or maybe even calling exterminators. Jacksonville, Florida residents will most likely think of these answers. But one way that most people take for granted is the use of insect-repelling plants. Next time you consider adding some new color to your Florida garden, you may want to consider the following plants.

Marigold

The marigold is commonly known for its warm yellow tones and distinctively strong smell. Insects find the scent offensive, as do some gardeners; this scent comes from pyrethrum, the active ingredient in many insect repellents. Marigolds grow well in reasonably fertile soil and full sunlight. They can be planted from seeds, though starter plants can be obtained relatively cheaply. They are particularly effective against mosquitoes. Established plants need to be thinned, and flowers should be cut once in a while to promote additional blooms.

Lavender

This herb is another potential weapon gardeners can wield against insects. While it's a best known for its relaxing properties, it can also be used to repel mosquitoes, fleas, and even moths from your home. Lavender plants prefer a hot, dry Mediterranean climate, which Florida does not always offer. However, it is possible for Lavender plants to grow in North Florida, where the conditions are somewhat favorable. It can take about three years to take root, but once it does, it is virtually resistant to drought.

Citronella

You may have heard of citronella oil as a common cleaning agent and insect repellent, which is even used in a wide range of mosquito repellent products. However, since the citronella essence found in these products is generally already diluted, the plant is naturally stronger-smelling than any citronella product out there, so it's more effective against insects. The smell of citronella is sweet and citrus-like, strong enough to mask the scent of other attractants, making it hard for mosquitoes to find humans. Since it is a clumping grass, it's not the best decorative option out there; landscapers will generally want to plant it behind other decorative flowers and shrubs. However, it is very low maintenance.

So just like there's more than one way to skin a cat, there's more than one way to keep insects at bay. Environmental and aesthetically pleasing solutions like the ones above are available if you know where to look. However, if the problem has already become too severe, it may be time to find good exterminators Jacksonville, Florida residents can rely on.

Tips for Safe Pest Control

While you want to be able to eliminate bugs with ease and convenience, you also want to be able to keep yourself safe. Bug warfare is critical to us, but we also want to be able to minimize collateral damage in pest control services. Jacksonville Florida residents who are informed about politics will likely know that in war, countries are forbidden from using chemical weapons. This is because they are extremely difficult to control. They can be carried in the wind, they can stick to clothes, and they can even contaminate water supplies. Similarly, pesticides should be thought of as dangerous, and should be handled with care.

Pesticide Warfare is a Last Resort

Because pesticides can be unsafe for human health, the homeowner should start with safer pest control methods. Prevention is better than a cure, so one could consider keeping the house clean, or make sure that crumbs and leftovers aren't left outside to tempt the bugs. Keep every area of the house dry and free from rot. These measures should minimize a lot of insect infestations in homes.

Using chemicals is an executive decision

At some point, every homeowner decides to take a chance and use pesticides. Maybe the bug attacks have gotten out of hand, or maybe there just seems to be more of them popping up. Once this decision is made, remember to read everything, including instructions and warnings. More pesticide isn't always better, so don't just spray wildly around the house. You'll also want to change clothes or wash your hands after using such household chemicals.

Think of the children

Kids around the house? You'll want to make sure that they're safe. When you're not using pesticides, you'll want to keep them away from their reach, preferably in a locked cabinet or garden shed. Never transfer pesticides into containers that children might mistake for food or drink containers. Also teach children well. Make sure they know what insecticides are being used around the house so that they know which containers they can't touch. If you leave them in other people's care, like a nanny's or a grandparent's, then those people should also know about the risks that come from insecticides in your home.

In the end, the decision on whether or not to use insecticides depends on which is more acceptable: the danger from bugs, or the risk from pesticides. If the bug problem gets too severe, you may also want to stop worrying about the problem and call for pest control services. Jacksonville, Florida residents can always rely on Bugmaniacs to come, see, and conquer invading pests.

Reduce the Dust Mites in Your Home

Reduce the Dust Mites in Your Home

What is a dust mite?

According to Wikipedia, a house dust mite is a cosmopolitan guest in human habitation. Mites induce allergic reactions like runny nose, watering eye, clogging in the lungs, eczema skin, wheezing, itchiness, and reddening eye. House dust mites thrive indoors and they are known to reside in beddings, furniture, carpets, pillows, and mattresses. Moreover, house dust mites also produce allergens which trigger asthma.

How to reduce the dust mite in your home?

Since house dust mites feed on flakes of dead human skin, they are usually found in furniture, mattresses, and beds.

Bedroom

The basic rule on how to prevent pests is to clean the affected areas of your house. In this case, the initial remedy to reduce the accumulation of house dust mites around the house is to wash and change the blankets and pillows regularly.

Kitchen

Keep your food in sealed containers. Always clean the countertops. Keep the trash sealed. And most of all, don't forget to wash the dishes! The same thing goes for any leftover food you may want to leave out for Fido.

Vacuum

We don't want the dust to circulate in the air, but that's what happens when we brush it off. The most effective dust-buster is a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

Vent

Just like most pests, house dust mites rely on moisture to survive. To reduce humidity, ventilate and open the windows in your house.

Seal

Seal affected areas with weather stripping. This is known to shut pests out.

Stuffed Toys

One of the favorite residences of dust mites is stuffed toys. To discourage mites, they must be kept in the freezer every two weeks.

Once you followed these steps, there's a big guarantee for a cleaner and dust-free home.

For long-term pest management, however, nothing beats pest controlservices. Jacksonville, Florida residents at the end of their rope will still have those to count on.

5 Steps on How to Get Rid of Cockroaches

Finding exterminatorsJacksonville, Florida residents trust is quite challenging. Good thing is, you can still prevent cockroaches and other pests from invading your home just by considering these:

1. Where are the roaches?

To figure out where they're hiding, look for the pellets or droppings (usually in brown or black color) that these critters leave on cupboards, cabinets, and walls. Make sure to look for these droppings as these will confirm their presence in your home.

2. Where are they found?

Roaches and other pests love to hide in the dark. Investigate your house for all the holes, vents, drains, and cracks where they can enter.

3. How can you kill them?

Here are some of the most effective extermination methods that you could do while waiting for the experienced exterminators to fully eradicate the pests from your home:

Borax

Borax has a lot of uses. It can be used as an all-purpose cleaner, a stainless steel/porcelain stain remover paste, and of course, as a pest exterminator (it desiccates the pests' exoskeleton).

Insecticide spray

The most effective and efficient way is to spray the insecticide in the holes, vents, or cracks where you think the roaches are hiding. Remember to follow the instructions on how to use the insecticide and to keep kids and pets away when spraying.

Bait

There are several types of bait available: Gel, Liquid, Adhesive, and Solid. The only way to determine the bait's effectiveness is if it is enough to eliminate the proportion of the population of the critters in the house. Also, soap and water solution can be highly effective.

4. Keep it clean.

After numbers 1 to 3, you must remember to do the following so as to prevent reinfestation:

Leaks

Roaches are particularly attracted to water, so make sure to fix the leaks in the bathroom and kitchen sink.

Trash

Regularly empty the trash can and keep garbage away from the house.

Food

Remember to not leave dirty dishes overnight and to keep utensils, kitchenware, and food containers sealed.

Cracks

Seal every crack (shelves, window moldings, floor, doors), and every hole in the wall to block the entrance of roaches.

5. If symptoms persist...

Just in case the above don't work (possibly because of the extremeness of the infestation), you must contact pest-control exterminators since they are experienced and licensed to use strong chemicals.