Do Bed Bug Bombs Work?

Bed bugs can wreak havoc in any home, biting us and leaving itchy bite marks. These pests can spread like wildfire because of their small size and impressive hiding skills. It can be tough to control them once they have invaded your space.

If bed bugs are ruining the peace in your home, it might be tempting to use a bed bug bomb. But there are better ways to manage an infestation. The best option is to contact a pest control professional. Pest control specialists have the expertise and tools to get the situation under control.

Are Bed Bug Bombs Effective?

Do bed bug bombs work? They may seem like a fast and convenient way to eliminate pests in your home. But unfortunately, they’re ineffective against bed bugs. They might even do more harm than good.

Bed bug bombs are aerosol cans that contain pesticides. Once you activate them, they spray the pesticide as … Read Full Post »

Do Crane Flies Eat Mosquitoes?

You’ve seen them flying around the porch at night. They look like enormous mosquitoes. Their bodies are an inch long or more, and their long, spindly legs can be three inches across. They’re crane flies, but they have a lot of names.

Common names for crane flies include:

mosquito hawks
skeeter eaters
gallinippers
gollywhoppers
Texas mosquitoes

Some people are put off by their size; others think they’re giant mosquitoes. Crane flies do look like Jurassic mosquitoes, after all. There is a large mosquito called the gallinipper, but it’s nowhere near the size of a crane fly. Just to add to the confusion, many people like to see them around because they think they eat mosquitoes.

What Exactly Are Crane Flies?

There are over 15,000 species of crane flies. They’re classified in the order of “true flies,” like mosquitoes, but they’re in separate families. That’s why they look so much alike, but that’s where the similarities end.

So they’re not mosquitoes, … Read Full Post »

Do Roaches Shed?

June 16, 2023. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control • Austin

Cockroaches are excellent at adapting to their environment, making them difficult to control. Most homeowners have had a run-in with cockroaches at some point, but it can be frustrating when you notice more and more of them making your house their home.

Learn how roaches infiltrate a household, how to identify the breed and what you should do to control them.

Do Roaches Shed?

Many homeowners are surprised to learn that roaches do shed. They shed their skin multiple times throughout their life to accommodate their body’s growth. You may find cockroach exoskeletons in their nests, beneath electrical equipment, furniture, closets, drawers and corners of rooms.

The exoskeleton is a solid outer coat that protects roaches. Roaches cannot grow over the limitations of their hard shell, so they have to molt to become larger. Cockroaches will molt anywhere from 6 to 14 times in their lives, depending on the species.

Cockroaches lose their old skin … Read Full Post »

What To Do About Ants in Your Lawn

June 13, 2023. Posted by Holt Myers in Ant Control, Pest Control • San Antonio

Are ants invading your lawn? Ants are pesky nuisances, but there are ways you can manage their population to protect and preserve your lush lawn.

Ants in lawns are often an annoyance for homeowners during warmer months, particularly as nest-building ants may damage your lawn by building nests and tunnels in it. Some species can even bite or sting. Therefore, it’s important that you act when you see ants in your lawn.

What Conditions Attract Ants?

Ant species typically prefer lawns with dry, well-drained soil and low water-holding capacity. These conditions allow ants to easily build nests for food storage, colony defense and protection.

Ants are drawn to lawns that contain organic matter, such as dead leaves, grass clippings and debris. These materials give them the essential nutrition needed to survive and reproduce.

Finally, ants need water for survival. That’s why they are drawn to lawns with access to collected sources of moisture like sprinkler … Read Full Post »

When is Termite Season?

May 4, 2023. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Termite Control • Austin

Many homeowners wonder about termite season and when they should be on the lookout for these pests. The unfortunate truth is that termites can be active all year long, quietly creating damage to a home. That said, there is a stretch of time when homeowners are more likely to notice termites—when termites swarm.

When a termite nest reaches maturity, reproductive termites will fly out of the nest to go find a mate, find a place to nest and start a new colony. If you are home when a termite swarm happens, you will see these insects flying toward light sources or windows. If you aren’t home when a termite swarm happens, you may find dropped wings near windowsills and on the floor. Flying termites can easily be confused with flying ants. If you find wings around your home and you are not sure what you’re dealing with, it’s wise to contact … Read Full Post »

How To Check Your Bed for Bed Bugs

March 14, 2023. Posted by Holt Myers in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Austin

The dreaded words “bed bugs” can make any homeowner shiver. Bed bugs feed on human and animal blood, usually while we sleep, and can hide in furniture, behind wallpaper and in other hard-to-reach places. If you have started getting itchy bites at night, you might wonder whether you have these pests. Bed bugs are tiny pests that can be hard to spot, so you must inspect thoroughly to spot signs of them.

Bed bugs are a more common problem than many people think. Knowing how to inspect for bed bugs can help you determine whether or not you’re dealing with an infestation.

What To Look For and Signs You Have Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are tiny, oval-shaped insects. They are about the size and shape of an apple seed with a reddish-brown coloration. Bed bug bodies have a banded appearance due to the ridges along their wings. Adult bed bugs’ heads are elongated … Read Full Post »

How Long Do Bed Bug Bites Last?

February 23, 2023. Posted by Holt Myers in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Austin

Bed bugs may be tiny, but they can ingest up to six times their body weight in one feeding, which takes only around 12 minutes. If you’ve discovered a suspicious-looking bite mark on your skin, you’re probably wondering, “How long do bed bug bites last?”

How Long Does It Take for a Bed Bug Bite to Appear?

Bed bug bites don’t appear immediately. When a bed bug bites, it injects an anticoagulant and anesthetic into the skin layer, preventing you from feeling the bite. It can take up to 14 days for bed bug bite marks to show up. The average time it takes for bite marks to appear is three days. Bites usually clear up within a week without treatment but may last up to 14 days.

Bed bug bites are often mistaken for mosquito bites, so you might not know that you have a bed bug problem until you see infestation … Read Full Post »

What Do Termites Look Like?

February 8, 2023. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Termite Control • Austin

The thought of having termites in your home is alarming. These pests can cause damage to your home and it’s difficult to catch an infestation early. When it comes to termites, one common question homeowners have is: What do termites look like?

All termites have a straight waist and straight antennae. Additionally, most species of termites have three different castes—workers, soldiers and reproductives. As their name implies, the workers do the work. They search for food, feed the other castes and maintain and build tunnels and tubes. Soldiers defend the nest against any invaders. Reproductive termites leave the nest when it reaches maturity to create a new colony. Also known as swarmer termites, reproductive termites have wings so they can fly out of the nest when the time is right.

If you are home during a swarm or come home to find shed wings near windowsills, collect a few wings to show … Read Full Post »

How To Inspect for Bed Bugs

February 3, 2023. Posted by Holt Myers in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • San Antonio

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Bed bugs may be tiny creatures, but they can cause a large problem if you don’t catch them early on. Unfortunately, they can be hard to spot and identify. It’s easy to mistake other creepy crawlies like ticks, carpet beetles and baby roaches for bed bugs. It also doesn’t help that bed bug bites look similar to other insect bites and skin conditions like fungal infections and eczema. The longer you take to detect them, the more time they have to spread to other parts of your home.

Below is a guide on how to inspect for bed bugs. Learn about the most common signs of an infestation, what they look like, where they like to hide and how to prevent them from invading your space. If you have confirmed their presence in your home, it’s time to contact pest control professionals for help. It is hard to manage an infestation … Read Full Post »

Subterranean Termites Versus Drywood Termites

January 6, 2023. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Termite Control • San Antonio

Do you know the difference between subterranean termites versus drywood termites? These termite species have several similarities in their appearance and behavior, but there are also key differences that can help you tell them apart.

Identifying which type of termite is infesting your home is the first step in controlling the termite colony. The most important thing to remember is that all types of termites can cause severe structural damage to your home and need to be dealt with quickly.

Not all termites fly, but each species has a type of termite that has wings. They are called swarmer termites, and it is their job to fly away from their current colony to reproduce and form new colonies. These termites discard their wings after mating, and homeowners often spot them around their houses. Discarded termite wings are a sure sign that a mature termite colony is nearby.

It’s important to take the right … Read Full Post »