Getting Rid of Indoor Insect Pests
We have all, at one time or another, been "visited" by bugs or other creatures in our home. From the small and annoying to the big and scary, they're just not wanted there. These pests are mostly insects or types of rodents that can create many problems in the home such as creating damage or causing discomfort for you and your family. In some cases these creatures can even make you ill.
You can try using pest control products to get rid of the pests yourself. However if you want to be completely sure that your home will be safe from pests "bugging" you, it is probably the best idea to hire a pest control professional who can help you to permanently get rid of these nasty creatures. You will find a professional in your local directory or newspaper.
To be successful at home pest control, you first need to identify the pest that you are dealing with. Not every treatment is successful, but if you know what type of animal you are dealing with it will be easier to get rid of the pest.
Several common types of household pests are creatures such as bedbugs. Bedbugs are very small types of insects that can be found in your bedding or mattress or in rugs and carpets. They can bite and you will need a professional to help you reach safe indoor pest control.
Other nasty creatures are ticks. Hard and soft ticks crawl around in the home and in shrubs and tall grasses. Ticks suck blood and attach themselves to you or your pets to fill their bodies with the blood that they live on. You can successfully remove ticks yourself with sprays and tick pens. If you ever get bitten by a tick you need to remove the tick (with a specially designed tick-pen) or you will have to get a doctor to do this for you.
There are also the much dreaded wasps and related insects like yellow jackets. These animals should be treated with care. Many of us are allergic to stings of these insects. You always need to hire a professional pest removal service to get rid of these creatures.
If you think that your home might be visited by unwanted guests such as these insects, it is time to take some action. Pests can bite you and your pets. They can spread bacteria and in some cases they could make you ill or allergic. In most cases allergy pills and treatments help, but of course the most effective treatment is to get rid of the pest.
If you are planning on dealing with an indoor pest yourself, please make sure to use pesticides that are labeled for home use only. You could end up damaging your health if you don't keep this in mind. You can get products such as flea foggers, spider and fly sprays and powders and even sprays that promise to get rid of roaches for you. Remember that it can be very difficult and sometimes even impossible to deal with a persistent pest yourself.
Keep your home clean, especially the floors, at all times and don't leave any waste lying around inside or outside of the home. Clear old leaves away in the garden and make your pets wear flea collars. Educate your kids about ticks and check them over after a walk in areas where ticks may live. If you stick to these simple rules it will be a lot more difficult for pests to make a home in your house.
Paper Wasps
Paper wasps (also called umbrella wasps) are 1/2 to 1 inches long and are more slender than yellow jackets. They are mostly yellow with small areas of black. They build paper nests shaped like an upside-down umbrella with a single layer of exposed cells often under roof overhangs. They have small colonies of up to 200 workers. They rarely sting.
Mud Dauber Wasps
Mud dauber wasps are 1 to 1 1/8 inches long, with a long thin waist. They are usually black with some yellow patches. Each individual wasp builds its own nest out of mud or clay. They do not seem to defend the nest and almost never sting people. They are predators of spiders which they paralyze and feed to their young.
Bald-Faced Hornets
Bald-faced hornets are 5/8 to 3/4 inches long and are black and white in color instead of yellow and black like most wasps. They build cone-shaped, paper nests in shrubs, trees, and sometimes on buildings. The nests can be up to 24 inches in diameter. These hornets are very aggressive when their nest is disturbed but seldom bother people at other times.
Yellow Jackets
Yellow jackets are 1/2 to 5/8 inches long, and black and yellow in color. They are the original paper makers of the world. Their nests are usually cone-shaped and can be found in walls, or hanging from trees or buildings, and may even be found underground. In the summer there may be as many as 4,000 workers in a single nest. Yellow jackets become more aggressive late in the summer when the new queens for the next season are being produced
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