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With over 467,000 Lyme disease cases recorded each year, it is no doubt that tick bites are an issue of concern for most people– especially for those who love to go hiking, camping, foraging, or even playing outdoor in the backyard. Perhaps this post will prove useful if you are preparing for any outdoor event in the wild, and you are worried about how to protect yourself from ticks. In this post, we will share with you 5 tips to protect you from tick bites.

1.Your Clothes Choice Is Important

It is important that you pick the right outfit when going out in the wild. John Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center recommends wearing long sleeves. In addition to that, we recommend that you wear socks and then tuck your trousers into your socks. Doing this makes it difficult for the tick to contact your skin, causing it to fall off.

Another tip when the dressing is to wear white clothes or any color in contrast with brown or black. Doing this makes it easier to identify any tick crawling on your body.

2.Treat Your Dresses With Permethrin

If there is one thing that ticks detest, then it is permethrin. Permethrin is an insecticide that is harmless to humans but detrimental to bugs such as ticks. However, you need to ensure that you treat your clothes with permethrin and have them dry out before you wear your clothes and go out. If allowed to dry, it gets submerged into your clothes, and keeps you safe from bugs for 6 weeks even after washing.

3.Treat Your Skin

In the same way you treat your clothes, it is equally important that you treat your skin and make it unfavorable for ticks to crawl and attach to. One of the best and recommended ways to treat your skin is to use insect repellents; you do not just want to buy any repellent, but you want to buy a repellent that is EPA registered and contains either picaridin or DEET.

Ensure that you have all your skin covered; however, most importantly, ensure that you have insect repellent on vital areas such as your armpit, behind your ears, your neck, and any area of the body that is moist and warm. Also, avoid spraying the insecticide directly on your face; it is recommended to spray it on your hand and then smear it on your face.

You mustn’t forget to treat your pets before taking them out, especially dogs. Dogs are one of the most common hosts for ticks, especially the Brown Dog tick; therefore, if you are going camping with your dog or any pet, you need to protect them.

It is possible for your pet to become infested with ticks while you are out there, and after you return home, the tick will crawl onto you. Even if that doesn’t happen, your pet may suffer from anemia, leading to death. Therefore, you must protect your pets when taking them out with you.

You must check with your veterinarian to ensure that you pick the right insect repellent for your pet before taking them out.

4.Watch Where You Walk

You must be mindful of how you when while out there. You do not want to walk while rubbing your body against plants, woods, and leaves unnecessarily. Walking in the center of the trail will minimize your body’s contact with the plants. This is important because ticks live on plants, woods, and vines, waiting on the next host to attach to. Therefore, the more your body gets in contact with the margins of the forests, the higher the chances of ticks climbing to your skin.

some other tips to keep in mind when walking in the wild include:

5.When You Return

Immediately you return from the trip, there are two things to do:

If you notice ticks in your home, pet, or anyone in your family, then do not hesitate to contact us for fast and reliable pest control services.

If you’re an ecological enthusiast, you must be aware of the importance of ants in our environment. In fact, these tiny animals are fascinating and you might find yourself wanting to learn more about them. However, no matter the case, nothing is amazing about ants invading your home. They can deny you peace, and bring tons of problems into your space.

So…

What Attracts Ants?

When ants are hungry, and in search of food, there is no place that is out of bounds in their search. They will go through all types of foods to find that particular taste they’re searching for, that too in numbers. But even so, ants tend to have a particular liking for sugary particles. And that is why they tend to invade many homes because there are various sugary substances at their disposal. From tiny juice spillages, to cake leftovers there are so many things that attract ants.

Also, they don’t need a lot of sugar to keep coming back into your home. For instance, if an ant of a small group of ants finds their way into a sugary spot in your home, they will leave a scent trail as they leave to guide them back whenever they want to. So, other ants will also find it easy to invade your space to satisfy their sweet tooth cravings. Therefore, if you see one ant in your home, it could be an indication of more such visitors to follow.

Additionally, ants tend to come into homes in search of water and other foods, especially in dry seasons. So, this is mainly the case with those ants you see around your bathroom and other humid spots.

If you see ants in your house, after heavy rains, they might be hiding from the flood. Ants tend to relocate during such seasons to nearby buildings, including your home.

How to Prevent Ants from Invading Your Home?

The very first step you should take in keeping ants from intruding into your home is maintaining cleanliness. Start by wiping off spills immediately they occur or notice them.

These will leave no sugary traces for the ants to indulge in. Also, ensure all your cooking preparation spots are well cleaned.

Afterwards, ensure to seal all the foods in airtight containers to deny ants access. Plus, cleaning the area behind the fridge and toaster as often as possible. And if you have pets, see to it that no pet food is left out longer than needed.

Additionally, check bins around your house and home and ensure they’re tightly sealed as well. But that is after removing all rotten vegetables and fruits from around your home/house. Generally, ensure that there is a trace of food around any surface (both inside and outside your home) to entice ants. It’s always important to prevent ants’ invasion than having to deal with hundreds of them, once they do.

However, if you realize the invasion a bit late. You can still disrupt their trail by wiping the area down with some bleach or vinegar.

Sometimes, you might be doing everything right (keeping food containers tight and maintaining general cleanliness) but it doesn’t seem to work. In such a case, consider sealing up cracks and holes in walls around your home. In fact, this should be the first preventing measure you should take, especially when you notice a few cracks as you about your day. Doing this is the best way to prevent ants from nesting inside your home’s wall cavities, and reproducing to bring you even greater problems. In other words, nip them in the bud.

Now, if all the above tips don’t seem to work, you might want to consider using insecticidal baits to control the ants. However, before you settle for this, it’s important to ask yourself if ants are actually such a big problem, because we do need them in their various types. For example, they can help to attach and kill cockroaches, and even spread various plant seeds. They also come in handy to help remove various wastes from the environment.

So, if your ant issue is out of hand, it’s best to contact pest control experts to help you deal with them. But ensure they use ants-specific insecticides to avoid killing other insects within your environment.

Honey bees can enter any design or item that contains an opening that is a fourth of an inch or bigger. A typical honey bee prevention is to seal all potential honey bee sections with rigid materials. Nonetheless, when there are many bees on your property, you might not have an adequate opportunity to recognize and seal all potential places.

A successful substitute is to apply treatment to the scout honey bees waiting around your home. This will keep the scout honey bees from the potential settling spot. Therefore, the group continues to another area. Be that as it may, try to make a move rapidly as honey bees can move in out of nowhere.

Diminishing outside mess can likewise keep honey bees from settling in your yard. New apparatuses or grass gear found in yards can draw in bumble bees since they give fair haven to a hive to flourish.

Additionally, assuming your home has recently cleared bees, ensure no honeycomb is left. The pheromone fragrances gone on the honeycomb can draw in baby bees. Typically, the honeycomb will be arranged in an unavailable region (divider voids, overhang, and so forth). Eliminating parts of your rooftop or siding might be vital. Prevention would always be the surest option.

Why Honey Bees Go to Houses?

Just like humans, bees would pick the environment they think is good for them. Honey bee issues can be the essential driver for a colony of bees on your property. If your yard has plenty of vegetables and fruits, this could be why honey bees like to be near food sources.

For the most part, waterfront towns have favorable environments. Urban communities and farmlands are more inclined to have lots of honey bees.

Where honey bees decide to reside is by and large beyond your control. Nonetheless, you can expect that if honey bees have been to your home previously, your house is more inclined to a future undesirable honey bee visitation. Make sure to make a prevention to hold honey bee issues back from returning.

Tips to Prevent Bees From Coming

According to this article, and as mentioned, you have to seal any holes or openings. Try to explore and inspect if there are any gaps or other tiny openings. Give explicit consideration to any areas where there are wires or vents with open space around them. Seal these spaces with caulk, cross-section, or metal screens.

You might need to actually look at the overhang of your rooftop for openings or breaks that honey bees could enter through. Honey bees love building homes in the roof and upper rooms, so take additional consideration to seal any potential doorways there.

Call A Bee Exterminator

Bees and other insects can send sicknesses that can make significant diseases to you, your friends, and family and harm your home in large numbers.

These people offer assistance that won’t just dispose of any current bug issues but also center around counteraction to safeguard your family and home. They ensure their administration, and whenever you see bugs in the middle of your routinely repeating planned administrations, we will withdraw your home a no extra expense.

They offer a few reasonable treatment plans, good compensation choices, and the capacity to deal with your record on the web.

HonorGuard’s specialty is carpenter bees. These bees are grown-ups overwinter, ordinarily in deserted home passages. In the spring, the survivors arise and benefit from nectar. Mating starts and stretches out into home development time. Male woodworker honey bees will be regional and will become forceful when people approach, in some cases floating a brief distance before the face or humming one’s head. Most action happens from pre-summer to late-summer.

It’s pretty challenging to get them out of your yard. According to them, these bees are moderate to control. Numerous applications are regularly essential to bring the populace under unlimited oversight. Now and then, craftsman honey bee traps work, yet the prevention might require a more forceful treatment plan to be sure they won’t be back again.

For successful and dependable assistance, call HonorGuard today. They have accomplished experts who will address your nuisance issues in or around your home.

Is Pest Control Safe For Kids and Pets?

No one wants pests in their home, but many people choose to do DIY pest control. Which can be very dangerous. Pest sprays and pesticides are designed to kill insects, and if not used correctly, they can also harm your family and pets. Professional pest control is a much safer option, and it can also be more affordable than you think.

The Dangers of DIY Pest Control

There are risks associated with do-it-yourself (DIY) methods for pest control. Although some people may feel comfortable taking on the task themselves, it’s essential to consider the potential dangers involved.

One of the biggest dangers of DIY pest control is the potential for causing more harm than good. If you use too much of a pesticide or don’t apply it properly. You could end up doing more harm than good. This could result in making your home more attractive to pests rather than getting rid of them.

Another danger of DIY pest control is that you could unintentionally expose yourself and your family to harmful chemicals. Pesticides can be toxic if they’re not used properly. They can cause a variety of health problems, including skin irritations, respiratory issues, and even cancer.

Pets are also at risk when it comes to DIY pest control. If you use a pesticide indoors, your pet could contact it and become sick. Pets are also at risk if you use baits or traps, as they could accidentally eat them or get caught in them.

The bottom line is that DIY pest control is a risky business. If you’re not careful, you could end up doing more harm than good. That’s why it’s always best to leave pest control to the professionals.

Professional Pest Control Is Safe and Affordable

Professional services are always the safest and most affordable option for pest control. Pest control companies have the experience and expertise to get rid of pests quickly and safely. They also use products specifically designed for indoor use. They’re less likely to cause harm to your family or pets.

In addition, professional pest control often costs less than you might think. Many companies offer a variety of packages that fit any budget. So, if you’re looking for a safe and affordable way to get rid of pests, professional pest control is the way to go.

So, is pest control safe for kids and pets? The answer is yes, but only if you use a professional service. Professional pest control companies use products specifically designed for indoor use, which means they’re less likely to cause harm to your family or pets.

In addition, professional pest control often costs less than you might think. So, if you’re looking for a safe and affordable way to get rid of pests, professional pest control is the way to go.

Don’t take chances with your family’s safety. Leave pest control to the professionals.

The Benefits of Professional Pest Control

There are many benefits of professional pest control, including:

Reducing the risk of disease: Pests can carry a wide range of diseases that can be harmful to humans, so it is essential to take steps to reduce the risk of exposure. Professional pest control services use products and techniques specifically designed to kill pests without posing a threat to people or pets.

Preventing damage to your property: Pests can cause extensive damage to homes and businesses, from chewing through wires and cables to nesting in attics or walls and causing structural damage. Professional pest control services can help prevent this damage and identify any potential problems before they become an issue.

Reducing the risk of fires: Some pests, such as rodents, gnaw on electrical wires, leading to fires. By eliminating pests, you can help reduce fire risk in your home or business.

Keeping your family safe: Many people are concerned about the safety of their families when it comes to pest control. However, professional pest control services use products specifically designed to be safe for people and pets.

In addition, these services use integrated pest management (IPM) techniques that focus on preventing pests from entering your home or business in the first place. This helps create a barrier that keeps your family safe from exposure to harmful pesticides.

Saving money: DIY methods can be costly and often don’t work as well as professional services. In addition, if you use a professional service, you can be assured that the job will be done right the first time, which can save you money in the long run.

Protecting the environment: Professional pest control services use environmentally-friendly products and techniques to eliminate pests. This helps protect our planet and its resources.

Conclusion

Pest control is safe for kids and pets if you use a professional service. Professional pest control companies use products specifically designed for indoor use, which means they’re less likely to cause harm to your family or pets. In addition, professional pest control often costs less than you might think. So, if you’re looking for a safe and affordable way to get rid of pests, professional pest control is the way to go.

Cockroaches are the most adaptable and resilient pests that may invade your home. We need to understand what attracts them to your home. In addition to carrying infections and spreading bacteria, roaches are known to induce allergies and asthma attacks as well as contaminate food. These annoying pests are incredibly unhealthy as well. They can be both summer and winter pests.

4,500 varieties of cockroaches exist, but only thirty are called pests. Four of those 30 individuals, though, stand out as particularly adept at creating a nuisance for themselves: Cockroaches of the German, American, Australian, and Oriental varieties

 Keeping cockroaches away requires determining what initially attracts them. Roaches will enter your home for one of four reasons: food supplies, water supplies, a source of warmth, and a place to shelter (or a combination of these). They are frequently attracted to the following:

How to Keep Cockroaches Away

Knowing what draws roaches to your home allows you to eliminate these sources of attraction and reduce the likelihood of a roach infestation. Some cockroach avoidance strategies that you can employ in your own house are listed below…

Sanitation

Keep it as clean as you can. The most effective method of preventing cockroaches is through good sanitation.

Clean Kitchens

Concentrate on the kitchen. Don’t leave food out overnight unless absolutely necessary. Dishes should be washed every day at least. Remove crumbs and spilt food from all surfaces, including cabinets and pantries. Every night, disinfect the kitchen counters with a disinfectant spray. Don’t forget about the kitchen appliances.

Cockroaches are drawn to oil and spilt food that collects on and in your equipment, such as your refrigerator, stove, dishwashing machine, microwave, toaster, and the area under your kitchen sink. Roaches are also drawn to the region beneath the kitchen sink for a variety of reasons.

Restrict Places You Eat

Places, where you eat should be limited. Food consumption should be limited to a single room. The result is that not only is cleaning easier for you, but it also limits the number of crumbs and spills that may go unnoticed in other rooms and serve as an additional food source for roaches.

Storing Food & Pet Food

All food should be kept in airtight containers. Roaches are small enough to fit through the gaps of the conventional cardboard packaging that food is delivered in. This holds true for pet food as well. In order to prevent roaches from entering the house, pet food must be stored in a tightly sealed container on the back porch, preferably. The same goes for pet food bowls and containers, which should be emptied every night.

Garbage

Maintain a tightly fitting lid on your garbage can, and empty the kitchen trash can at the close of each day. Make certain that your outside garbage cans are clean and that they are not too close to your home.

Clean Before Bedtime

Roaches come out at night. Vacuuming the kitchen floor on a nightly basis reduces the roaches’ food supply. Make a habit of vacuuming every 2 to 3 days for the rest of your house, as well. Raccoon excrement, body parts, and egg sacs can all be removed in this manner. Use Cockroach Repellent

Block Entry Points

Block off any possible entrance points. Utility pipes and crawl spaces should be sealed off. Check that your windows and doors are secure and that you have weatherstripping installed if necessary. Fill in all of the gaps and fissures.

Remove Places Where Cockroaches Can Hide

Get rid of anything that roaches can use as a makeshift shelter, such as cardboard and paper.

Smoky Brown Cockroaches and American cockroaches prefer to reside outside but will come inside in search of food or when there is a lot of rain or hot weather. They prefer warm, wet environments such as flowerbeds or under mulch. They are also frequently found in trees. They are also prevalent in the majority of American city sewer systems. They frequently infiltrate homes through windows, garages, and beneath doors. They will also infiltrate your home through drains and plumbing. When they invade homes, they usually end up in basements, laundry rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. They are also prevalent in commercial structures such as restaurants, grocery stores, and warehouses.

Use Professional Help

Make an appointment with a pest control professional. If you believe that you have a roach problem, call a professional right away. Treatment approaches can differ depending on the type of roach you have infesting your property. A skilled pest control expert can do a complete review of your situation and develop a comprehensive treatment plan on your behalf.

Winter Pest Control

Mice and rats remain active during winter, but as it is cold outdoors they move inside and build nests in walls and roof space where they can spend a few months, often breeding. In Tennessee, there are several commonly found spiders including Wolf Spider, Brown Recluse Spider, and Black Widow Spider. A bite from the last two can be fatal as they are extremely venomous. Sometimes spiders are found inside your home, and it is a good idea to get rid of them.

Rats and Mice will usually come inside the house before the first cold days of winter, and start building their nests in a cavity, mice only need a small space, and rats are more likely to climb to the roof space where they have more opportunity to nest. The first sign of rats and mice is often scrapping or scratching at night, as they come and go to feed, alternatively, there may be mouse droppings in the kitchen.

1. Rats and Mice Carry Disease

Both rats and mice carry infectious diseases including Salmonella and Tularemia. A bite from a rat can cause Rat Bite Fever, and in the past, they were responsible for causing Bubonic Plague.

2. Mice Can Cause Cancer in Humans

This is emerging research that can’t be ignored even though it is horrible. Some mice carry a virus that may cause breast cancer. Called the Mouse Mammary Tumour Virus, which is highly transmissible to humans.

3. Vermin Damage Your Home

Rats and mice are highly destructive and can even chew through electrical wiring, and if left unchecked can gradually destroy an unoccupied house.

4. Spiders and Ladybugs

Spiders will come indoors in cold wet weather, and you don’t want venomous spiders in your house. Usually, spiders don’t remain indoors as they like to be outside. However, spiders are more likely to stay indoors during the winter. Asian ladybugs were introduced to the USA for aphid control but turned out to be aggressive insects. They will invade your house in the cold weather and hide in fabrics and walls. They release a nasty-smelling liquid and bite as well.

5. Spiders are Attracted by Warmth and Light

Keep leaf litter and junk away from your house, and if you have a woodpile, the spiders will probably live in there.

This is hard to do, but try to seal off all entrances to your home, including mesh screens within your vents.

Regular Pest Inspections

Pests are active all the year, but it is only when they enter our home that we really notice them. It may be as simple as cockroaches in warmer climates, or scuttling rats and mice. Any of these creatures have to be eliminated. There are now many nontoxic pesticides to completely get rid of spiders. If you have small children the use of pesticides is a concern, and the type of spray used will be discussed with you first.

When you have your twice-yearly pest inspection, it enables our experts to eliminate opportunities for pests to enter your home, and after a while, you won’t see a pest in your house.

Conclusion

As we have seen, pests are active all year-round and not just in winter, pest control should prevail. Spiders and ladybugs become more active during Spring and Summer, and may even enter your house at any time given the opportunity. So it is best to always be vigilant, and don’t let them in. Contact HonorGuard Pest Control today to keep spiders, ladybugs, mice, and rats out of your home during winter!

What are bed bugs?

 Bed Bugs are tiny insects, much like mosquitos, that like to feed off of human blood. Unlike mosquitos they do not fly but latch on to clothes, backpacks and clothing and can go wherever they are taken. When bed bugs get in a house they are not usually discovered until they mass produce. One of the biggest signs of bed bugs is if a person breaks out in a red rash or blisters. Once bed bugs have invaded a house it’s difficult to get rid of them. Females can lay up to seven eggs at one time and a single infestation could be in the thousands. Having bed bugs can be frustrating but there are easy ways to prevent them from entering a home.    

Identify an Invasion 

The thought of a bug infestation can be overwhelming for some people but it is good to know the signs in case of an invasion. One of the main signs bed bugs are present are bug bites appear like a rash and may contain blisters. Doctors cannot identify a bug bite by itself. The University of Tennessee suggests trying to collect one or more of its shedded skins in a Ziploc bag to bring along to the appointment. The University of Tennessee also offers additional information about bed bugs on their website. Another sign that will show up in a bed bug infestation are freckle spots in wood furniture. If the household has travelled recently, or any new furniture has entered the house from a questionable place these could also cause an infestation.

Travel

Latching onto clothes, backpacks, and suitcases are the easiest ways bed bugs can invade a house. Storing your suitcases and backpacks in a hotel room can be tricky sometimes especially when travelling with a family. Make sure luggage is not placed under the bed, on the floor, or near the bed. For clothes it is a good idea to store dirty clothes in a plastic bag and wash them as soon as possible. Drying them on high heat is recommended because it is more effective at killing bed bugs than washing them. Make sure to inspect all clothes, backpacks, and suitcases after travelling. 

Furniture 

Bed bugs can enter a house through clothes, backpacks, and suitcases but they can also travel on furniture. It is very important when picking up furniture on the side of the road or in another not very sanitary place to look for signs of bed bugs. Make sure to inspect tiny corners or crevices for the tiny bugs. If you see freckle spots on the wood this could be the bugs’ fecal matter. When moistened with water the bed bugs’ fecal matter should turn red or a rust color. Other places bed bugs can hide are in the seams of couch cushions, behind wall hangings, and in heads of screws. The EPA has pictures of infected furniture with bed bugs. It’s crucial to check every little corner of furniture because bed bugs are so small and easy to miss. 

At HonorGuard Pest Control we care about keeping bed bugs out of your house. We primarily serve Nashville, Knoxville, Atlanta as well as the surrounding areas – if you think your house could be infected don’t be afraid to contact us for information and schedule an evaluation. 

Autumn is the time when practically everything within the environment starts to change. The leaves begin to turn shades of yellow and orange, the wind cools, and certain critters prefer to be warm during this time. This really is the season which will get you ready for the next colder months. Despite the fact that the autumn brings along chilly wind, bugs seem unconcerned. Anyone will come across vermin throughout the fall, and you’ll need to know their tricks!

What You Are Up Against

There are a multitude of critters and pests you can encounter during the Fall season. These may vary depending on where you live but most common pests include cockroaches, mice, stink bugs, rats, and spiders. While the smaller insects like spiders and stink bugs aren’t the worst, they can quickly multiply and take over a certain area in your home without you being aware. Small rodents like mice and rats can carry diseases, ticks, and fleas, which you don’t want spreading to you or your pets. They will also find their way into your food, leaving it inedible and your pantry covered in droppings. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of ways to get ahead of those little creatures before they even make it into your home.

Block Their Entry

Cold weather pests are notorious for finding even the tiniest of gaps to squeeze through. Be sure that all of your windows, doors, and sliding glass doors have a rubber weather tight seal around the borders. This will not only keep pests out, but will also keep your house warmer. Along with those preparations, a simple way to prevent unwanted guests is to close all of your windows and doors when they aren’t in use. The garage is always a common place to come across mice, and many insects. Ensure that all the cracks and spaces are filled in and blocked off as well. 

Properly Storing Food

Food being stored poorly is one of the main reasons homeowners experience infestations of unwanted critters. Make sure that all food is sealed tightly and put away in a cupboard or pantry. Leaving fruits and bread out on the counter or center island is just asking for a trail of ants or a few mice to invite themselves in for a quick bite. It is also a good practice to check under your furniture and behind major appliances for any food that may have slipped out of your hand and fallen behind or under something. While leaving food out in the open where pests can clearly be seen is bad, having them feasting out of your sight is even worse when and if you realize they are there. Lastly, ensure that all the food being thrown into the trash can has a closed-top. This way, the scent of food won’t linger around your home, drawing those pests inside to see what’s on the menu. 

Stop Those Leaks

Excess moisture in your house can also lead to a swarm of bugs and mice. It is always a good idea to make note of any leaks in your plumbing. This could mean your sinks, toilet, shower, refrigerator, and especially your wash and dryer. Most common dryers vent to the outside, and if you have leaks and moisture near them, it can draw in all those vermin you’re trying to prevent. Patch up those leaks and make sure all the fittings are tightened. 

Don’t Panic

It’s common to get frightened by this information, but don’t panic!. Now is the perfect time to begin making steps towards keeping your house rid of all those creatures during autumn. Make sure you keep on the lookout for circumstances that might invite them inside.