East Tennessee Spiders: The Brown Recluse

Spiders are everywhere these days. With the global trade systems we’ve had in place for a few centuries spiders unique to different parts of the world are now common finds just about everywhere.

East Tennessee has a few spiders that you might find more regularly than others. It is good to know what to look for and understand them.

Brown recluse spider against a white background - keep spiders away from your home with Johnson Pest Control in TN

Brown Recluse Facts

The brown recluse is a spider everyone in East Tennessee is aware of, but often times is confusing and mis-identified. Often times people will say that you need to look for the violin/fiddle along their back by the head. I am not sure if you like me, but I’d rather not get that close to them to see such a small identifier. Besides, other spiders have similar markings so this shouldn’t be your sole identifier. The brown recluse will have eight eyes, with two eyes batched together in three different spots. Again, this identifier might get you closer to the spider than I’d choose to be, but it is one of the more distinctive marks of the recluse. Their abdomen, bottom area of body, is generally an oval shape with their head area (cephalothorax) being flat and pear shaped. What might be most striking when seeing a recluse is that their legs are very prominent. When you see many spiders the legs match the size of the body, thin body/thin legs or thick body/thick legs. With a recluse the body can be quite thin and the legs can see oddly thick in proportion.

Recluses generally are non-aggressive and solitary insects. They like to hang out in dark areas of a home (furniture, cupboards, cluttered areas). They do not want to hurt or bite you. The name ‘recluse’ is intentional for a reason. However, they do hide out in places that you can come into contact with them and their venom is potent enough to cause harm if not treated. If you are going under a house, cleaning darker areas, or turning over furniture that doesn’t get mixed up then you have a probability of coming across a recluse. That probability of crossing paths is even higher if you have seen them in your home before.

Think You Have a Brown Recluse Problem?

Brown Recluse Spiders in Tennessee

The big trouble with Brown Recluse’s is that they are terribly difficult to get rid of.

If you spot a brown recluse in your home then, unfortunately, there is likely to be more hiding out somewhere. Vastly different from a Black Widow found in the home would be more of a singular instance as they do not live proximally with other widows.

Recluses are resistant to many pesticides as their legs do not have the same hair other spiders have. That thicker hair is what picks up pesticides and thus killing off the spider/s. Foggers can kill recluses, but often times they hide out in areas that foggers cannot reach. The brown recluse can also hide out without eating for weeks. Foggers & pesticides generally cannot penetrate the egg shell of a recluse, so even if you can get the live spiders you might have a new batch showing up a short time later.

If you want to get rid of the Brown Recluses in your home then the word is ‘thorough’. You will need to put an adequate pesticide in every nook and cranny throughout the house. This ‘thorough’ application includes under the house, in the attic and outside the house. Not mention under, and sometimes inside, furniture. You will want to remove webs throughout the house. To test your work you can put down sticky traps perpendicular to the wall edges to see if any recluses show up. If they do then you will need to repeat the process. We did say they were tough to get rid of.

You can always contact us to help with identifying and removal of a brown recluse problem in your home or business. We pride ourselves on our work and customer service in getting the job done and keeping your family and home pest free.

8 Crazy Bug Phobias

What is your initial reaction when you see a bug? What is your reaction when you see a bug that you really hate? What is your reaction when you see a bug that you are afraid of?

We all might be aware that arachnophobia is the fear of spiders. I think we all are freaked out by spiders at some level. The fear of insects actually has two defined names. Entomophobia and Insectophobia would classify someone as the fear of insects.  There are many social phobias we use in common vernacular. There is also an interesting list of specific phobias directed towards actions and things which will set people into a panic attack, screaming, running, or some level of nausea. We thought it’d be interesting to look at some of the crazy bug phobias (and pest) that are out there.

A bee harvesting pollen on a flower - keep bees away from your home with Johnson Pest Control in TN

Apiphobia – The fear of bees. Not hard to imagine why many people freak around bees. The idea of getting stung is not pleasant. If someone were to be allergic to a sting then it could be life threatening. However, most people do not have panic attacks triggered by bees. There is Cnidophobia which is the fear of stings, which could be associated to bees. It is, however, a more general phobia that can also be associated with getting a shot, for example.

Crazy Bug Phobias

Batrachophobia – The fear of amphibians, frogs, salamanders, newts, etc. Not entirely sure how this phobia comes to be. Most amphibian type pests (except frogs who seem to be everywhere when you do not want them) run from you so fast it is hard to imagine that they are threatening. Fears though are rarely rational.

Similarly..

Crazy Bug Phobias

Herpetophobia – The fear of reptiles and/or creepy crawly things. If someone panics or gets nauseous watching the Gieko gecko commercials then it is possible that they might have some level of herpetophobia.  This phobia can encompass a fear of snakes, which I am not terribly fond of either. Ophidiophobia is the term for a fear of snakes. So if someone were to be afraid of snakes, but love frogs and salamanders then you can say they might have ophidiophobia.

Crazy Bug Phobias

Chiroptophobia – The fear of bats. Let’s be honest, who is really happy to see a bunch of bats. Maybe a few scientists. That is all we can think of. Bats have some really great functions in our environment flying around in the darkness and eating up bugs we do not care for. It might just be that they are not soft and cuddly or their, perceived, erratic behavior that keeps us from loving these creatures. Could also be that vampire stuff freaks us out as well.

What Do Termites Look Like

Isopterophobia – The fear of termites. Not to be confused with eisoptrophobia, the fear of reflections. Isopterophobia would be a specific phobia that is triggered when someone sees termites, or insects that resemble termites (maybe carpenter ants).

Crazy Bug Phobias

Mottephobia & Lepidopterophobia – The fear of moths and butterflies. Motte is German for moth. These fears can encompass both moths and butterflies. Nicole Kidman is said to have this phobia. Usually this is a child’s fear which goes away over time when they realize that these insects do no harm to you. However, it can keep hanging around into adulthood.

Crazy Bug Phobias

Musophobia – The fear of mice. Most people I know jump and scream when they see a mouse. As with these other specific phobias, if a person gets into a panic attack or falls completely nauseous then they could have some variant of musophobia. Rats can also be lumped into this fear. Let’s face it, someone who is fearful of a mouse will not get close to enough to examine if it is a rat in order to dispel their fear. It is a four legged & long tailed rodent that scurries across the floor.

Eastern blue bird on a wooden fence in a garden keep birds away from your home with Johnson Pest Control in TN

Ornithophobia – A fear of birds. Unless you are in an Alfred Hitchcock movie then I am not sure what there is to fear about birds. Again, fears are not always rational. If you have a child that is afraid of birds then slowly approaching, drawing, and showing photos of birds can help to progress their removal of that fear. Would be really tough to live with this fear for the rest of your life.

Crazy Bug Phobias

Zemmiphobia – The fear of the great mole rat. You might be asking, “What is a great mole rat?” Mole rats come from the rat family but behave in more of a mole fashion. They will reside underground and live in colonies with other mole rats. The dig their tunnels and would generally be confused for a mole. Big differences are the mole rat does not have the same nose features (usually a nice set of teeth) and front paws are more traditional in look, versus the scoop paws of a mole. You will hear more and more about the ‘naked mole rat’ as they are examining this animal as a means of cancer prevention, no lie.

How to Protect Against Carpenter Bees

How to Prevent Carpenter BeesSome of the local east Tennessee news is a buzz (pun intended) with spring emergence of carpenter bees. Springtime, and early summer, is their typical time to show up and start boring their holes into soft wood to create nest spots for laying eggs.

Females will tunnel into softwoods; pine, cedar, or wood structures with outdoor wear. The bees will bore a 1/2inch circle into the wood then turn a tunnel with the grain of the wood. Each ‘cell’ will house one bee egg. Six to Eight cells could be in a single tunnel. Carpenter bee flight is very erratic, which makes them really freaky to be around. Males will often hover around your head if they are disturbed. Only the female bee can sting. The carpenter bee males usually hover around waiting on the female to emerge from a nest in order to mate. After mating the bees will hang out around the nest or smell the flowers. Eggs to adults bees will take about three months to develop. Tunnels or bees not treated early can re-use prior tunnels making the tunnel longer and deeper into wood structures. This can cause actual structure damage and be very difficult to treat.

How to Protect Against Carpenter Bees

  • Rarely do the bees attack painted wood. However, it is known to happen on occasion. Good practice is to paint exposed wood. Stained wood is not as effective as painted wood.
  • Treat affected areas early to avoid significant damage and make treatment most effective. Similar to termites, carpenter bees do not do quick damage to your home. If ignored, carpenter bees will have significant time to do damage to homes and other wood structures.
  • If the female is currently digging a regular wasp spray can kill her and then plug the hole. If you only have time for a temporary fix, use steel wool to plug the hole, then go back and fill in the hole and paint over.
  • Treat the chambers and tunnels with insecticidal dusts, wettable powders or residual aerosol formulations. Just caulking over a hole will not suffice, carpenter bees will come back and bore through the caulk. An insecticide is needed to prevent the bees from continually coming back to your home.
  • When applying insecticide, put entrance of tunnels in the evening when the bees are less active. Do not cover holes, the bee needs to move from cell to cell carrying the insecticide. The adult bee will die after a day or two.
  • Seal the holes with wood pieces, wood putty/carpenters glue, or other sealant to prevent the bees from using the holes again. Not to mention, doing this will prevent the wood from deteriorating as it is compromised by the bees.
  • Bit of a home remedy using WD-40 with its spray tube can be used to spray into the bee tubes and break apart the larvae & cells. This might not prevent your current crop of carpenter bees from bugging you, but it will help prevent future carpenter bees from emerging. Plug the created bee holes when you are satisfied with their removal.

If you are unsure about how to treat carpenter bees yourself give us a call (866-448-2847), or email, to schedule a free inspection appointment and we can help you solve your carpenter bee problem.

Prevent Allergies & Asthma by Safeguarding Your Home From Pest

PREVENT ALLERGIES AND ASTHMA BY SAFEGUARDING YOUR HOME AGAINST PESTS

tips to eliminate indoor allergens this spring

 Each year, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America designates May as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, an ideal time to educate the public about triggers, prevention and treatment measures for asthma and allergic diseases. In recognition of this important observation, and we would like to take this time to remind everyone that a few simple pest prevention measures can go a long way in preventing allergies & asthma this spring.

What Causes Allergies & Asthma?

Common household pests, such as cockroaches and stinging insects, can pose a significant threat to asthma and allergy sufferers. Cockroach droppings, saliva, shed skins and other body parts contain allergen proteins known to cause allergy flare-ups and increase asthma symptoms, especially in children. In addition, stinging insects send more than 500,000 people to the emergency room each year due to serious reactions from the pest’s venom.

Asthma and allergies in America infographic - keep pests away from your home with Johnson Pest Control in TN

 

Many people blame their sneezing and runny noses during the spring season on pollen and grass, however, household pests are often culprits as well. It’s important for people to make an effort to keep the home free of potential triggers, and the first step is practicing good sanitation.

Prevent Allergies & Asthma by Following These Tips

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recommends the following tips for safeguarding homes against common indoor allergens caused by pests:

  • Exclude pests by sealing cracks and gaps on the outside of the home. Pay special attention to utility pipe entry points.
  • Vacuum at least once a week using a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate) filter.
  • Keep food sealed and stored properly, and clean kitchen floors and counters daily.
  • Dispose of garbage regularly and store in sealed containers.
  • If allergic to stinging insects, learn how to use an epinephrine kit and carry it with you at all times.
  • Should you experience symptoms of an allergic reaction following a stinging insect encounter, such as tongue and throat swelling, wheezing, dizziness, or shortness of breath, call 911.
  • If you suspect an infestation, contact us to safely remove the threat.

 

 

How to Remove a Tick

how to remove a tick | Johnson Pest Control East Tennessee Ticks are everywhere this time of year in East Tennessee. If you are like us then you like to get outside and that puts you at some risk to have one of these nasty little parasites chomp your skin in and suck your blood. You can try to prevent them all you want, but inevitably they will get onto your pets, children, spouse, or you and then you are stuck with the task of removing a tick.

Growing up I remember there being a host of methods suggested to removing a tick. You can slather them with petroleum jelly, the common thinking is that they would be suffocating in the jelly and back their way out of your skin. There was the burn them with a hot match (which you just blew out the flame), the idea being that they’d go running for cover when scorched. Trouble with these methods, for me, is that they never worked or took too long. Last thing anyone wants is to see these tick parasites attached to your skin.

How to Remove a Tick

The quickest and most thorough way to remove a tick off is to physically remove it and not dance around with some other fancy techniques. A big key when removing ticks, you will hear this from just about every expert, is to be sure to remove the ‘head’ of the tick, which is embedded into your skin. If a tick has just bitten onto you or loved one then the tick is not embedded as deeply and removing the head will probably just come out with the rest of the body. Regardless, be sure you are doing these steps well in order to rid yourself of the tick for good.

  1. Determine that this is a tick. Some ticks can be so tiny they might be confused for a skin mole. If you think it is a tick just rub or jab at the spot and look for its gross parasite legs to start to squirm. If you see that, then you have a tick. Some people might confuse chiggers with ticks. Hate chiggers as well, but they are way smaller than ticks and need to be treated differently. 
  2. Get a fine tipped tweezers and pinch as close to the skin as possible. I like to get one tip point underneath the body of the tick with the other tip on the topside of the tick. This is just my thinking that it’s easier to remove the tick this way because they are flatter from side to side and you can grip more surface area. If you are going camping then make sure to put some tweezers in a first aid kit or make-up pack. If you are out and about without tweezers (and can’t stop a Walgreens at the next corner) then you can attempt to remove the tick with some sharp fingernails. Yes, this can work, it just is not ideal.
  3. Lift upward on the tick, do not twist, jerk or pull unevenly on the tick. Getting anxious trying to remove a tick can result in tearing the tick and leaving that head embedded in the skin. If you do pull out the tick and the head is in the skin then use those tweezers to finish removing the tick head. This might be tedious, similar to removing a splinter. Take the tick and flush that nasty little parasite down the toilet. They are pretty indestructible, so putting them in the trash might only result in them showing up again on your family.
  4. When you are satisfied that you have thoroughly removed the tick then treat the bite mark with alcohol wipes or peroxide to kill off any infectious bacteria that might be present. If those types of items are not present to clean a bite spot then thoroughly wash with soap and water. You should be fine after that and the skin should heal in a week or so.
  5. If you notice a rash emanate from bite mark or begin to have fever spells then get to a doctor quickly. You may showing symptoms of tickborne illnesses such as Lyme Disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (not to be taken lightly).

When it comes to pets, dogs especially, removing ticks can be difficult. All that hair can be a real issue. If you are regularly brushing your dog with a flea and tick comb then you will keep ticks from really embedding into your pets skin which will make removal (using the same process) much easier and more effective.

If you want to know everything else there is to know about ticks then you can check out the Center for Disease Control’s website page dedicated to ticks.

Expert Tips For Ticks

Last weekend we went camping and we pulled a little tick off my son. This was actually our second tick we’ve pulled in the last few weeks. Yes, tick season is upon us in East Tennessee. Because of our proximity to so much wilderness and wildlife ticks are of even more concern and vigilance for us.

Ticks are of real concern for our families because of the many diseases that can be carried and transferred by them. Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Fever have serious consequences if infected and not treated adequately.

Tips for Ticks

Local news checked in with Rick Gerhold a parasite expert at the University of Tennessee

 

Rick Gerhold studies parasites at the University of Tennessee. He says there are two common types of ticks in Tennessee, the Lonestar tick and the American Dog tick.

“Right now we’re not sure exactly where the tick population is going this spring, we definitely know they’re out. Our cold winter may have dampened it a little bit, but I’ve definitely pulled ticks off my dogs so far this year,” Gerhold said.

He recommends checking your pets at least once a day for ticks, and if you find one make sure you pull off the whole body.

“If you pull up real quick and jerk it up, what you sometimes can do is leave the mouth part of the tick in the animal and that can lead to a lot of issues, Gerhold said.

When checking your dog for ticks, he says to make sure to look inside their ears, and thoroughly check each of their paws. He recommends contacting your veterinarian for prevention and treatment options.

To help keep ticks off of yourself, Gerhold says to wear bug spray when you’re outside, keep your grass cut short and try to wear light colored clothing so they can be easily spotted.

 

 

What Not to Do With A Fire Ant Mound

Fire ants are growing in population throughout the southeast. If you have not had an experience with fire ants then count your blessings. These colonies of fire ants will swarm onto you, a child, a pet with unbelievable speed. Fire ants will then sting you (sometimes biting you to anchor themselves to sting you better) in the most unpleasant of experiences.

They are no fun.

If you find fire ants on your property the best method for dealing with these pests is to pay someone else to risk getting bit. In all seriousness, you can pick up some mound insecticide, bait, or water based insecticide to apply to a colony as directed.

What Not To Do

What we would suggest as a “What not to do with a fire ant mount” but find really cool is what the folks at AntHillArt are doing. They are pouring molten aluminum into various ant colonies to create these unique, rather fascinating, creations of “art”. The handling of hot molten aluminum is something that we, or any normal person, can suggest as NOT a good idea. The pouring of hot molten aluminum into a fire ant mount is probably equally NOT a good idea. That said, these folks are doing it and the results are really neat.

Here are the folks at AntHillArt creating a sculpture out of a fire ant mound.

Do not try this at home. We believe this is done by trained professionals. Though we are not exactly sure how one becomes a professional at this.

So next time you might run across a fire ant mound, feel free to think about this solution to get rid of ants, but do not actually do it. Watch the video and just give us a call to come help you out.

How Do They Find West Nile Virus?

West Nile Virus | Johnson Pest ControlSpring is here and with spring comes mosquitoes. With mosquitoes comes the inevitable news of some mosquito being found to have West Nile Virus. West Nile Virus is a mosquito born illness that was isolated, for a time, to the Nile river of Eastern Africa. In recent decades though the WNV has gone completely global. In cases the WNV has been known to be fatal if left untreated.

How Do They Find West Nile Virus?

If you watch the news you will hear a few times a year that ‘authorities have found a mosquito positive for west nile virus’. If you are like me you immediately wonder, ‘How in the world did they find that one mosquito which had the West Nile Virus?’

Come to find out, the process is not that complicated.

  1. First you grab a good sized sample of mosquitoes from a particular area. Biologists, entomologists, wildlife professionals will use a ovitrap, carbon dioxide, light, or other trap to collect a large sample of mosquitoes in a particular area. If there are dead animals, namely birds, in the area the experts might test the animals/birds for west nile virus to tip them off that the virus is in the area.
  2. The mosquito sample collected will then be tested through a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test, know as RT-PCR for short (we had to look it up). This will help scientists to spot the west nile virus in a mosquito or other animal.
  3. Authorities will then report their findings to local entities as well as the Center for Disease Control, which keeps some pretty solid data on the movements of west nile virus.

So when the news says that biologists found a mosquito that tested positive for West Nile Virus you can tell everyone at the party that it was this big process of catching a bunch of mosquitoes and then testing them to determine the presence of west nile in your area.

Keeping Mosquitoes Away

To keep mosquitoes away local authorities will put resources into minimizing the mosquito populations. Sprays or water treatments to ponds or reservoirs are areas that officials will focus on. Around your home you can do similar things to prevent the growth of mosquitoes as well. Eliminating standing water, having a professional spray treatment done as well as protecting yourself and family with DEET or permethrin on your body or clothes respectively will help to keep mosquitoes and West Nile Virus exposure at minimums.

Currently there is no direct treatment for West Nile Virus. Medical professionals will utilize a host of options for replacing fluids, rest, and other ailments. However there still is no cure or vaccination.

Keep current with the CDC website and the information they list for local and national trends.

Worst Cities for Bed Bugs in 2013

Worst Bed Bug Cities of 2013It isn’t any new news that bed bugs are on the rise. Twenty years ago we had long since forgotten what “sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” actually meant. Today we find them in all types of places. Orkin at the start of the year put out their rankings of the worst cities for bed bugs. This was based on their national market data, which is a good marker. However it is not independent research with all the various controls. Still, it’s fun to look at and take notice.

Worst Cities for Bed Bugs in 2013

This is the numbered list with a (+ or -) the number of spots the city moved up or down. Notice that Nashville and Charlotte have moved up a significant spot. Many pest control companies in Nashville are treating multiple bed bug cases on a weekly basis. Big surprise is the drop for New York City which was a hotbed for years. Proof that good treatments can help to turn the tide on these bugs.

  1. Chicago
  2. Los Angeles (+1)
  3. Columbus, Ohio (+3)
  4. Detroit (-2)
  5. Cincinnati
  6. Cleveland/Akron/Canton (+2)
  7. Dayton (+4)
  8. Washington D.C. (-1)
  9. Denver (-5)
  10. Indianapolis (+6)
  11. Richmond/Petersburg, Va. (+1)
  12. Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, N.C. (+3)
  13. Dallas/Ft. Worth (-4)
  14. Syracuse, N.Y. (+7)
  15. Atlanta (+14)
  16. Houston (+2)
  17. New York (-7)
  18. Seattle/Tacoma (-5)
  19. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (-5)
  20. Boston (+2)
  21. Milwaukee (-2)
  22. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (+3)
  23. Nashville (+17)
  24. Pittsburgh (+12)
  25. Charlotte (+18)
  26. San Diego (+6)
  27. Baltimore (-7)
  28. Phoenix (+7)
  29. Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Iowa (+4)
  30. Charleston/Huntington, W. Va. (+1)

So what if you are going to be traveling to any of these places? First off, do not freak out. This data doesn’t guarantee that you are going to find bed bugs at every turn of your family trip or vacation. However, precautions on any trip are helpful in keeping bed bugs at bay. Read up on our tips to preventing bed bugs in your home, which has some great travel tips. Check out BedBugRegistry to see if where you are traveling to has any prior issues which could warrant a few good questions.

Bed Bug Awareness Week

Apparently there is a week (or day/month) for just about everything. This week is Bed Bug Awareness week. Seriously. No joke, it is bed bug awareness week.

Suppose that Bed Bug Awareness Week isn’t as crazy as “Pig in a Blanket Day” (yes, that is this week as well).

So we thought we’d comb around the internet to find some solid resources as well as some funny/gross (depends on your level of bug love or hate) things as well.

Johnson Pest Control on Bed Bugs

We cover bed bugs quite a bit on this site.

Bed Bugs

This is a great short video by National Geographic that gives you a quick dose of information on the bed bug.

Bed Bug Facts

Need a quick list of facts about bed bugs. PestWorld provides a bed bug facts sheet that covers many of the main facts and tips with these blood suckers.

Bed Bug TV

Of course if there is a Bed Bug Awareness Week then there has to be a TV show. Makes total sense right? Maybe not. Jeff, who is a friend, has an ongoing web video series on bed bug solutions, information, and general topics. Recent releases that you might have helpful are his videos on college issues (which can be a hotbed for bed bugs, no pun intended) as well as a DIY bug monitor.

PEST TV

Not to be outdone, PestWorld has their own youtube series to check out. Cool part of many of these videos is that they are educational and kid friendly. The Pest Quest series is part of PestWorldForKids.org efforts. You can find more straight forward videos on things like ‘signs for bed bugs‘ as well on this channel.

All Things Bed Bugs

PestWorld has grouped together on this page all things they have as well as recent news links to anything associated with bed bugs. Now this might be a bit overload for the casual bed bug awareness week observer. But for those of us hard-core BBAW fans it’s a treasure.

BedBugRegistry.com

We’ve mentioned BedBugRegistry.com many times before. It’s a handy little database for those traveling or renters that around the country (and a bit of Canada) on instances of bed bugs. It is not telling you that you need to avoid each and every place mentioned. It is more to help us be aware of problems, opportunity to ask good questions, and choose places that deal with the problems they have.

Bed Bug Infestation

Here’s a bit of an ‘anatomy of infestation’ that can happen if bed bugs are ignored or not picked up on early enough. The article is provided by our National Pest Management Assoc. website PestWorld.

#BedBugWeek

In what might actually be an overdose of bed bug information you can check out the Twitter stream associated with bed bug awareness week. You have a number of local, national and maybe even global institutions throwing out factoids about bed bugs all week.