Pest Prevention Archives | Johnson Pest Control

Do Rodents Contaminate Insulation?

Rodents are a common pest issue for Tennessee residents every year, especially in the winter. If you think you’re hearing the noises of scurrying footsteps coming from your walls or crawl spaces, you could have rats or mice tunneling through your insulation. It is well known that rodents like to nest in our insulation and tunnel through it to travel around homes, but does this process cause contamination? Additionally, do you need your insulation replaced after a rodent infestation? Read on to learn about the effects of a rodent infestation in your attic from our rat and mice exterminators at Johnson Pest Control.

Should You Replace Rodent-Infested Insulation?

Having rats or mice inside your home can cause many different problems. Rodents are infamous for spreading disease — this happens not only through their bites, but through their urine and feces as well. The most notable diseases and ailments that rodents are responsible for include:

Salmonellosis
Tularemia
Hantavirus
Parasites
Rat bite fever, and more

Because rodent infestations can cause exposure to pathogens, we highly recommend that you replace your insulation after a rodent infestation. Infested insulation can become contaminated, but it can also become compromised in more ways, affecting its ability to regulate temperature and ward off other kinds of pests.

How to Keep Rodents Out of Your Insulation

In order to keep rodents out of the insulation in your attic, walls, and crawl spaces, you have to take measures to keep them off of your property in the first place. Here are some preventative actions you can take:

Seal your food in airtight containers and keep it stored away when you aren’t eating
Regularly inspect your home’s exterior for cracks and gaps in the foundation, siding, plumbing fixtures, roofing, and elsewhere
Keep your trash bins at a maximum distance from your home, and make sure you take out your indoor trash regularly
Hire your local rodent exterminators to conduct an inspection to assess your property for hidden vulnerabilities

The Best Way to Prevent Rodents in Tennessee Homes and Businesses

The best way to prevent a rodent infestation and in turn protect your insulation is to hire your local rodent control experts to help you understand how they operate. The Johnson Pest Control rodent exterminators are trained to follow IPM principles, meaning that they are in search of the least invasive, most environmentally friendly rodent control solutions at all times.

Johnson Pest Control also offers a TAP® Insulation installation service. This insulation is specially designed to fortify existing insulation and act as an extra potent barrier against many common crawlspace pests. Contact us today to learn more about either of these services and receive a free quote!

Mice Rats

Fall Pests That Can Live in Your Walls

a mouse peaking out of a hole in the wall

As the weather gets colder, you may start to notice an increase in insects and other unwelcome creatures in your home. This is a process called overwintering, which is when pests try to escape the increasingly cold weather, and it happens like clockwork every fall. Some species migrate to warmer climates, some burrow in or under debris, while others just try to get into our homes to warm up. It’s easy to avoid in most cases, but once they cross the threshold into your living space it becomes a big problem.

There are several types of pests known for trying to get in. The most difficult pests to get rid of, however, are the ones that make their way into the attic or behind your walls. These are the hidden dangers that you often don’t notice until they’ve caused real damage. This can include Asian lady beetles, rodents, termites, stink bugs, and wasps. Read on to learn more about these common pests that invade homes in the fall.

Contact us today to keep these fall pests out!

Asian Lady Beetles

White Asian Lady beetle are a little larger than ladybugs and share the same general shape and coloration. They look harmless at first glance, so what’s the problem? White Asian Ladies stick together in groups and use pheromones to communicate their location. So, if one or two get into your home, it can very easily balloon into a huge infestation. The good news is that these bugs aren’t known for stinging, biting, or destroying the household. Still, their presence could trigger respiratory issues in sensitive people. Because of this, it’s best, like with any insect infestation, to make sure the cracks and crevices of your home’s exterior are thoroughly sealed.

Rodents

Squirrels, roof rats, and mice are all known for their excellent climbing capabilities, and the odds are good that you’ve seen one of them scurrying across a fence or through some trees. With skills like theirs, they can easily get into your attic and make a nice and cozy nest to wait out the cold. Have you been hearing any scratching or gnawing noises from inside your walls? If so, you likely have a rodent inside your attic or wall voids. That means that it’s time to call an experienced rodent exterminator like Johnson Pest Control.

Stink Bugs

How do you catch a stink bug before things get smelly? The Brown Marmorated stink bug, an invasive species straight from the East, is the most common variety to find in the quiet parts of your house. They’re shaped like a shield, range in size from ¼” to ⅜, and colored in shades of brown and gray. When the cold season rolls around, they tend to stick to undisturbed spots in the home like the attic, crawlspace, or space between walls. Handling them can be tricky to do on your own, as if they feel that their lives are in danger they are known for releasing a titular smell that’s undeniable and definitely unpleasant.

Termites

Termites are the nightmare of any homeowner in America, with the estimated annual cost of damage done ranging up to $30 billion. These microscopic menaces always want to get inside your house. However, the most destructive species of termites are the subterranean termite, and they’re capable of burrowing deeper in the ground in the fall and winter and causing damage you won’t notice till spring. Termites in the home are focused entirely on consuming anything with cellulose. If you’ve noticed things such as blisters on painted, hollow-sounding wood and unexplained pinhole-sized holes, that means you’re in desperate need of service from one of our qualified exterminators.

Wasps

Most of the average wasp colonies don’t overwinter, which means that a majority of the population dies as the weather gets colder. However, fertilized queens are able to overwinter outdoors in hollow logs, stumps, under leaves or in structures such as the attics of homes. The most common way for wasps to get in is through attic vents that aren’t screened. So like with the stink bug and other pests and vermin, this can be prevented by making sure your attic is properly sealed from the elements.

Your Local Exterminator

Johnson Pest Control has been East Tennessee’s first call for pest control for over thirty years. We’ve earned the trust of homes and commercial properties in the Sevierville, Knoxville and Maryville areas, and we’d love to earn yours as well. If you want to avoid unwelcome fall pests, contact us today!

Common Pests of the Late Summer

Late summer feels like the season when we should finally be left alone by pests, but this is not actually the case. All kinds of critters are capable of taking advantage of the lingering warmth and growth from previous months to sustain themselves or even continue to thrive. If you want to make sure that the last of your summer isn’t overrun by pests, you have to make conscious and regular efforts to defend yourself against them. Learn about the most common late summer pests in Eastern TN and what you can do about them from our experts at Johnson Pest Control!

Pests We See in Late Summer

Although late spring and early summer are commonly regarded as the most pest-ridden seasons, there really is no time of the year in which you can completely avoid pests. This August and September, you can expect to deal with the following:

Ticks: Because ticks breed in the early summer, the late summer is when we can expect to see their populations in full swing. Watch out for ticks when walking around tall grass or dense vegetation.
Bees and wasps: As long as people are cooking or congregating outside, bees and wasps will be present. Leaving out sugary or protein-rich food will attract these insects or even incentivize them to build a home nearby.
Mosquitoes: If mosquitoes can establish a breeding population in a relatively undisturbed area, they can stick around until temperatures drop below 50°F. This means that they can continue to thrive in the late summer.
Wildlife: Animals that hibernate during the winter have particularly active summers. Raccoons, opossums, squirrels, and more all cause regular issues for local home and business owners.

Preventing Pests in Late Summer

It’s important to remember that any serious pest infestation should be addressed by a professional pest control technician, but if you want to pest-proof your property before any problems arise, we have some prevention advice for you:

Seal entry points: Look around your property for gaps in roofing, fencing, siding, foundation, and more places that pests could get through. Sealing gaps with a silicone-based caulk or fixing window openings by adding screens will help prevent pest problems.
Be careful with trash: Taking out the trash regularly will help prevent indoor pest problems and using sealable lids on your outdoor bins can keep bees, wasps, and wildlife away from your yard.
Keep a neat yard: By trimming your trees and shrubs, getting rid of grass clippings and leaf piles, and decluttering in general, you can prevent all kinds of pests from finding temporary shelter.
Eliminate standing water: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water pools, so monitoring your yard for buildup in gutters, planters, and elsewhere can help prevent breeding ground establishment. If you have a pool, spa, or birdbath, it’s wise to cover it up when not in use.

Expert Late Summer Pest Control

If your summer has been full of pest problems despite your prevention efforts, you might have a problem that has to be addressed by your local pest control company. We have seen it all here at Johnson Pest Control — our licensed, certified, and highly-trained technicians will have no problem assessing your property to identify vulnerabilities and develop a sweeping pest removal plan. To learn more about how we can help you and receive a free quote, contact us today!

bees mosquitoes opossums raccoons squirrels Ticks wasps

Why Are Ants Coming Back in My House?

Ants are some of the most persistent insects we have to deal with here in Eastern TN. They’re some of the hardest pests to get rid of completely because of their ability to adapt and alter their routes into our houses. Even when we think we’ve cleared out every ant in sight, a new trail can form within days. So, why exactly is this, and what can we do about it? If you’re looking for at-home ant control advice for your recurring infestations, read on for advice from the ant exterminators at Johnson Pest Control!

Why Doesn’t My At-Home Ant Control Work?

The problem with the easy DIY ant controls strategies we know about is that they’re designed to attack the symptoms of the problem, not the source. When we find an ant trail forming inside, the first instinct that many of us have is to squash them or spray them with some kind of store-bought ant control product. These strategies will only delay your problem or make it worse. This is because ants release a pheromone signal when they die to warn their colony members of a place of danger that they should avoid. When other invading ants sense this signal, they will divert their approach to enter your home through a different access point. Because of how stealthy ants are, they can surely find another path!

Ant Removal Strategies You Can Count On

You’re surely wondering what you can do on your own to get rid of ants if you can’t squash or spray them. It’s crucial to make your property less hospitable to ants in the first place, so follow these steps to discourage any further ant activity:

Follow their path: If you can trace the ant trail in your home back to the entry point, you can close off the hole with caulk, a screen, or by spraying a citrus-based cleaner to deter them, depending on where the hole is.
Keep them away from food and water: Ants are usually streaming into your home because they’ve found a source of food or water via crumbs, spills, open food containers, or pooling water on the floor. Make sure to clean up messes promptly, store your food in sealed containers, and keep your bathroom well-ventilated.
Hire an ant exterminator: An ant control professional will be able to trace your infestation back to the ant hill it’s coming from. Getting rid of your ant hill is the only way to ensure the ants never come back, and an ant exterminator is trained to do this completely and efficiently.

Expert Home Ant Control in Eastern TN

If you can’t catch a break dealing with your ant problem, it’s time to get the experts involved. Our ant exterminators at Johnson Pest Control are equipped with industry-leading tools and strategies to help you locate your ant hill, eliminate the colony within, and show you how to keep ants out going forward. For a free quote or to learn more about ant control, reach out to us today!

Ants

Handling Carpenter Ant Damage

While carpenter ants fall short of termites in terms of sheer destructive power, they make up for it by being resourceful and stealthy. By nesting and living in our wooden walls, carpenter ants are able to remain hidden while growing their colony’s numbers at the same time. The more they multiply, the more damage they have to do to sustain their population, so it’s important to know how to identify carpenter ant damage and quickly get them out of your building. If you think you’ve found carpenter ant damage in Eastern TN and don’t know what to do next, read on for advice from the ant exterminators at Johnson Pest Control.

Did I Find Carpenter Ant Damage?

It takes a bit of luck to catch a carpenter ant infestation early on. Carpenter ants tunnel through the wooden structures of our buildings to make nests and spread their colonies. When their numbers grow large enough, they’ll split off to form satellite colonies, making carpenter ant removal an even more difficult process. Keep an eye out for these signs of carpenter ants in your home:

Small holes and striated structures in wood
Little clusters of wood shavings in places you wouldn’t expect them to be
Faint sounds of rustling ants coming from your walls
Winged ants crawling out of cracks in your walls

Carpenter ants can be distinguished from other ants by the combination of their all-black bodies, large mandibles, and ¼-⅜” long bodies. Finding these ants crawling out of wooden walls is a sure sign of a carpenter ant infestation.

Getting Ahead of Carpenter Ant Damage

If you have identified signs of carpenter ant damage in your home or business, your next move should be to quickly devise a plan to get rid of them. There are a few DIY carpenter ant removal strategies that you may wish to consider:

Flushing out ants from their nests using soapy water or window cleaner
Mixing borax with sugar water to lure in the ants to a poisonous trap
Spreading a citrus-based cleaner, lemon eucalyptus oil, or cinnamon around active areas to drive them out

The problem with trying to handle carpenter ant control on your own is that your problem will never end if you don’t attack it at the source, their nest, which may be deep in your walls. You may even have multiple nests to remove and not even know it.

Expert Carpenter Ant Control in Eastern TN

If you want to be sure that you’re doing the best thing for your property during a carpenter ant infestation, reach out to your local ant exterminators. Our team at Johnson Pest Control can conduct holistic ant removal services, including an exhaustive property inspection, safe and efficient ant removal services, and leaving you with advice to protect your home or business from carpenter ants in the future. Reach out today to learn more and receive a free quote!

Carpenter Ants

What Are Those Sounds in the Attic?

Do you hear scurrying or scratching noises coming from above your ceiling? Sounds coming from the attic or walls may be the first indication that animals are present, but there are other things to watch out for. The type of animal in the attic and the extent of the problem cannot be determined without sufficient experience in wildlife control. Fortunately, Johnson Pest Control‘s wildlife removal experts can help! Our critter control team has removed all sorts of wild animals around Eastern TN from our customers’ attics with efficient and humane strategies. Read on to learn more about common wildlife attic invaders!

Clear Signs of Animals in the Attic

If you suspect that the sounds coming from your attic are the result of a wildlife infestation, make sure to check around your house for other signs that can shed some light on the issue. There are several more things to look for that show you have animals in the attic:

Animal urine and feces behind appliances, in crawl spaces, and along walls
Nesting damage or destruction of insulation
Bite marks on your belongings or on the structure of your building
Branches, leaves, and torn paper litter your roof or attic

What Wildlife Do I Have in my Attic?

Once you’ve determined that there are animals upstairs, the first step in handling them safely is to identify them. Following is a list of the animals most commonly found in Eastern TN attics, along with the evidence they leave:

Rats and mice: Mice and rats make nests in attics by tearing up insulation. Furthermore, they must constantly gnaw on hard surfaces in our houses to prevent overgrowth in their incisors. You have a rodent infestation if you notice these signs paired with dainty scurrying in your walls or attic.
Raccoons: The strongest of the common culprits, raccoons are able to tear through our walls and roofing to get inside our attics. They are active at night, and being as heavy as they are, tend to make the loudest noises while we sleep.
Squirrels: Squirrels use roof vents and eave gaps to sneak into our homes, preferring a less forceful approach than raccoons. You can tell squirrel noises apart from raccoon noises by their volume and times—squirrels are diurnal.
Birds: Birds nest in our attics using twigs and leaves from outside like some other animals, but can be easily told apart by the noises that they make. It’s important to deal with birds quickly to eliminate any risks posed by their hazardous droppings.

What is the Safest Way to Get Rid of Animals in the Attic?

It’s important to get ahead of wild animals in Eastern TN by taking preventative measures before they arrive, such as sealing your trash bins and closing off holes in your roofing, walls, and foundation. However, if they’ve already snuck into your home, you’re best off leaving the wildlife removal work to your local exterminators. At Johnson Pest Control, we prioritize the most humane techniques to get wildlife out of your home safely as well as quickly. Contact us today to learn more about our critter control services and receive a free quote!

birds Mice raccoons Rats squirrels

7 Houseplants to Keep Bugs Away

With all of the at-home and DIY pest control solutions that you can find on the internet, it can be hard to tell what actually works to keep pests away without professional intervention. If you’re looking for a reliable source, you’ve come to the right place! The technicians at Johnson Pest Control have been serving the Eastern TN area with inspections, preventative maintenance, and extermination services for nearly 40 years.

Over this time, we’ve developed an intimate understanding of the habits and features of local pests in the area. As such, we’ve learned how to repel them and can help you do so on your own. Read on to learn more about houseplants that you can keep around to prevent pest infestations!

7 Houseplants that Can Repel Pests

It’s important to preface this information by saying that simply placing houseplants in areas where you commonly experience pest infestations will not be the final answer to your problem. Some plants can, however, discourage certain pests from establishing breeding grounds or being active at sites that might otherwise be hotspots. Here are 7 plants that you can use to repel bugs:

Citronella: You’ve probably seen citronella candles marketed as insect repellent products in stores. The plant itself has the potential to deter mosquitoes, flies, and other insects.
Basil: This is another plant that works particularly well against flies and mosquitoes. It will also prove useful in your kitchen!
Spearmint: This plant is easy to grow, smells fresh, and is proven to deter aphids, moths, fleas, ants, and more.
Dill: Sticking to the trend of traditional garden herbs, dill is a helpful herb to repel aphids, spider mites, and other insects that commonly infest gardens.
Catnip: Catnip can be difficult to grow indoors, but with the right amount of sunlight it can protect you from ants, beetles, cockroaches, and more common household pests.
Venus flytrap: Although they are high maintenance plants, venus flytraps are fascinating organisms that will snatch up flies and other pests in your home if they get too close.
Pitcher plants: Pitcher plants are other kinds of carnivorous plants, but are quite difficult to grow. These are a better option for an advanced gardener.

Reliable Pest Control Options for Your Home

Although the thought of using plants to safeguard your home from pests is a fun, non-toxic, environmentally friendly option to consider, it will not provide your property with optimal protection. If you’re looking to keep pests out of your home year-round in Eastern TN, ask your local pest control company for help. Our team at Johnson Pest Control is equipped to deal with all sorts of bugs and wildlife in the area with comprehensive strategies and advanced technology. Contact us today for a free quote!

Ants apids beetles Cockroaches fleas flies mosquitoes moths

Can Fleas Live on Humans? How to Treat Flea Bites

If you’ve ever dealt with a flea infestation before, you know that the frustration can feel neverending. For people with pets, fleas are a constant threat, and even when you think you’ve removed all of the fleas from your dog or cat, they reappear seemingly out of nowhere. How do these parasites stay so persistent, and what can you do to heal their bites? Our technicians at Johnson Pest Control have all the answers and more. Read on to learn what you can do about fleas in Eastern TN!

Can Fleas Live on Humans?

If you’re dealing with a flea infestation in your house, you might be worried that they will make use of you as a host. While this is extremely rare, it is possible—there is a species of fleas known to seek out humans, but they are very hard to find in industrialized countries.

For the most part, fleas in Eastern TN prefer to live on dogs or cats where they are able to hide in long fur. However, this doesn’t exclude them from biting at your ankles if you aren’t careful. To make matters worse, even if you believe you’ve cleared your pet’s fur of all fleas, they can live in carpets, rugs, and similar surfaces temporarily until they find a new host. To ensure that all fleas in your home are eliminated, it’s best to work with a professional flea exterminator.

How to Treat Flea Bites

If you’re dealing with flea bites currently, it’s important to start taking measures to heal them right away to avoid the possibility of an infection. Here are our recommendations for treating flea bites on your own:

Most importantly, refrain from scratching them at all costs
Wash your bites with antiseptic soap to avoid an infection
Use calamine lotion or anaesthetic creams to alleviate itchiness
For swelling bites, apply an ice pack to reduce inflammation
If you notice symptoms worsening or showing signs of infection, seek medical attention.

Professional Flea Exterminators in Eastern TN

If you can’t seem to get rid of fleas on your own and are worried for the safety of yourself or your pets, call your local pest control company. At Johnson Pest Control, we conduct exhaustive property inspections, finding fleas in places that you wouldn’t think to look and using industry-leading, eco-conscious technology and techniques to get rid of them swiftly. For a free quote on flea control or to ask us any further questions about fleas, contact us today!

fleas

What Does a Bed Bug Inspection Look Like?

If you suspect bed bugs in your home or business, it’s imperative to have a professional inspect your property. The nature of bed bugs presents homeowners with a whole other level of concern that many bugs do not. Bed bugs can feel dirty and psychologically intrusive it is hard to admit to them. Even harder can be to let a stranger come into your home and start peeling away layers of a room in order to find the nasty pest.

At Johnson Pest Control, we are committed to providing thorough bed bug inspections for your peace of mind. You can trust that if there are bed bugs in your property, we will find them! Our experts are here to share some of the key steps in the inspection process—keep reading to learn more!

1. Early Detection of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs can be very difficult to spot even to the trained eye, especially in the early stages of infestations. As a home or business owner, it’s crucial to always keep your eye out for any early signs of pests. There are still a few actions that can be implemented to detect bed bugs in their early stages:

Sticky traps that are used for other pests can be placed around a room in order to capture potential bed bug activity. Capturing bed bugs in this manner is considered more by chance, so using this method to detect the presence of bed bugs works, but it is not a good tool to determine if you have eliminated a problem.
Mattress and box spring encasements can be placed around a bed in order to help detect an early infestation. Mattresses and box springs provide ample places for bed bugs to hide. Putting on an encasement can help by taking away the hiding places for the bed bug. If you find bed bugs using this method, it’s time to call your local pest control experts.

2. Professional Bed Bug Inspection Process

Due to the many places in which bed bugs can hide, a visual bed bug inspection is not the most reliable, especially for the earliest infestations. There are countless cracks and folds in mattresses, box springs, walls, etc., that bed bugs can hide in. It can be difficult to find bed bugs in these places. In most cases, a visual inspection will allow you to determine whether a problem exists. One of our professional bed bug exterminators will use a flashlight, magnifying glass, and possibly some tweezers to search for possible hiding spots upon arrival. In order to get as thorough a visual inspection as possible, they will likely peel away sheets and look under furniture.

If a visual inspection turns up negatives then our pest professionals will put in some of the early detection monitors and mattress encasements to ensure bed bugs stay away.

What Bed Bug Treatments Are Available?

Once we have been able to identify bed bugs within your room or property, then we will work with you on isolating the areas and prescribing the best treatment for bed bugs. Heat treatments are the most effective practice in killing off bed bugs, but it is also the most time-consuming. This is why we want to make sure the bed bug problem is there before starting on any treatment plan. In any case, we will work hard to determine the best way to get rid of bed bugs in your home or business as quickly as possible.

Think You Need a Bed Bug Inspection?

At Johnson Pest control, we understand how distressing a bed bug infestation can be. You can trust that throughout our inspection and treatment process, we will walk you through every step. Our team is committed to ridding you of bed bugs for good. To learn more about our inspection process or to schedule service, contact us today to get started!

bed bugs

What is a Carpet Beetle?

Have you noticed bugs that look like bed bugs crawling around in your home? At a closer glance, you might be able to tell that they are actually carpet beetles. Carpet beetles may seem very similar to bed bugs, but they come with a separate set of problems and should be dealt with using different strategies.

If you believe you have carpet beetles in your home or are wondering if what you suspected were bed bugs are something else, read on. The technicians at Johnson Pest Control have compiled some information on the nature of carpet beetles, their similarity to bed bugs, and how you can remove them from your home.

What Are Carpet Beetles?

Carpet beetles are tiny beetles, only measuring 2 to 3 mm in length. They are oval-shaped with white, brown, and yellow-orange markings scattered across their wing covers. They are not picky eaters, feeding on many kinds of both plant and animal products, but they prefer to feed on dead animal and insect material. This is why they are called carpet beetles: when they infest homes, you can often find them living in wool carpeting and clothing, eating the material.

Carpet beetles aren’t dangerous pests—they don’t bite or spread disease in any sense. However, they can become a major nuisance for home and business owners alike if the infestation gets out of hand.

Are Carpet Beetles as Bad as Bed Bugs?

Both carpet beetles and bed bugs like to infest furniture and carpeting in our buildings. However, they are nuisances for different reasons:

Carpet beetles don’t bite like bed bugs, but they do cause allergic reactions in some. Exposure to the small fibers that their larvae have can cause the skin to react adversely.
Bed bugs leave us with similar-looking rashes, but they are actually rows of tiny bites. Although bed bugs are more famous for infesting our mattresses, carpet beetles may be found there, too.
Both of these pest problems are short of dangerous, but can still be quite distressing. Discovering either in your house can be frustrating, and it’s hard to say what’s worse between a carpet beetle rash vs bed bug bites.

How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles

There are a number of purported at-home carpet beetle treatments. Diluted vinegar sprays, vacuums and steam cleaning, boric acid, and more DIY remedies can handle smaller infestations, but carpet beetles won’t go away unless you find the source of the infestation and neutralize it. That’s where the experts at Johnson Pest Control can help. Our beetle control technicians are well-versed in the habits of carpet beetles in Eastern TN and are equipped to remove active infestations safely, keeping them out for good. For a free quote, contact us today!

bed bugs carpet beetles