Pest Guide

How can I get rid of crickets in and around my home?

If you’re seeing crickets inside your home, the more serious predators are sure to follow. So get rid of those crickets—fast.

Here’s what not to do: Don’t empty a can of Raid on those creepy crawlers. Sure, you’ll drown the ones you can see, but their friends will simply sidestep the chemicals when they come out of their hiding places.         

A better strategy is to find out where they’re hiding and lure them out with a granular food bait that will trap them. You also can use sticky traps or concoct your own traps using a jar containing some water and molasses.  Read  more...

How can I get rid of ants around my house and yard?

We are always amazed at the topics that generate a significant response from our listeners; in this case ants!

If you'd like to catch up or follow along on our ant journey in search of an eradication method that is effective, yet acceptable to all, below are the links to the segments covered on air, in chronological order. If you are just looking for the quick answers and all the recourses and methods you've heard us laughing about with our callers simply scroll to suggestions from listeners. Read more...

How can I prevent bugs from getting in my house?

Here are some tips from my exterminator friends:

• Expect unwelcome houseguests like spiders and scorpions from March until the end of November.  In the winter, they’re content to live outside because the weather is pleasant.

• Scout around your yard to find their hiding places. Favorite hangouts are under decorative boulders because there’s usually a space of an inch or so between the rock and the soil—plenty of room for them to live without being noticed. Roll the rock away, kill the pests you can see, and then fill that space in with gravel or expansion foam.

Read more...

Is termite control a do-it-yourself job?
No way!

Termites congregate in the thousands. It takes full-strength pest-control products and a trained professional to locate them and destroy them.

You can try baits and pesticides, but it’s unlikely that you will eradicate a significant number of the bugs—or that you’ll have the time or discipline to shoo them away for good.

The Pros have special equipment that the average homeowner is unlikely to have, like hammer drills, sub-slab injectors, rodding devices, engines equipped with pumps and protective gear.

Read more...

How can I keep scorpions away from my home?

You live in the desert - and so do scorpions. It is estimated that the Arizona desert is home to three scorpions for every 10 square feet. Fewer live in busy neighborhoods.

If you have any kind of insects in and around your home, you’ve got scorpions.

You can drag them into your house when you pick up a blanket, a box or your shoes that have been left on the ground outside. Look for them when you pick up those items.

Scorpions have poor eyesight, so they hide during the day and come out at night. They like to hide under rocks, your patio and your foundation.

Read more...

How can I keep spiders out of my house?

The best way to keep spiders and scorpions out of your house is to keep crickets out of your house. To spiders and scorpions, crickets are gourmet food!

Here are some ways to keep spiders out and how to get rid of them once they get in:

•     Destroy spider webs as soon as you see them.

•     Regularly dust the corners of your ceilings and behind always-open doors.

•     Turn off your outdoor lights. They attract the flying insects that spiders like to eat.

•     If you have scorpions or black widows, which can be dangerous, call a pest-control professional to get rid of them.

Read more... 

How can I get rid of common insects like cockroaches?
Cockroaches and ants are probably the most common pests.

Arizona ants can get out of control. You can douse them with Raid, but that will only kill the ones you can see. Their friends are on their way, and will sidestep the poison.

• Your best prevention is a clean house. Ants love food, so don’t leave any around. Sweep and mop your floors often.

• Keep debris and wood away from your house.

• Cockroaches don’t cause any structural damage to your home, but they can spread germs and even trigger your children’s asthma.

Read more... 

For more information and for answers to all your Summer Pest, Home Improvement, Landscape and Gardening questions, please visit our website, Rosieonthehouse.com

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