Termite Tubes: What They Look Like, Where You Can Find Them

Do you suspect that you have a termite infestation in your house? The best way to be sure is to look for termite tubes around your property. They’re structures that termites build to facilitate transportation above ground.

But what exactly are you looking for? And where can you find these tubes? That’s what we’ll tell you in this article, along with tips and tricks to prevent a termite infestation.

If you suspect another type of infestation, like bed bugs or carpenter ants, contact us today for a thorough professional inspection!

What Are Termite Tubes?

Termite tubes, also called termite mud tunnels, are tiny hollow structures made from wood shavings, pest droppings, soil particles, and termite saliva. Their main purpose is to provide a safe passage between termite colonies and their food source, thus your house.

Termite mud tubes are most commonly associated with subterranean termites, a type of pests that live in underground caste colonies and feed heavily on wood structures. The unique composition of these tubes renders them a safe haven, as they prevent the entry of dry air and preserve the moisture inside.

Where Can You Find Termite Tubes?

Termite mud tubes can be either visible or hidden. If you’re lucky, they’ll be visible along your house’s exterior walls or foundation, and you’ll find them easily.

If your luck is taking a day off, they’ll be hidden inside cracks in your walls, behind your baseboards, or inside your foundation. In this case, you’ll need a professional pest control inspection to find them before they inflict severe damage on your house.

Types of Termite Tubes

Subterranean termites build four types of tubes: swarm, working, drop, and exploratory tubes. Each one of them has a unique appearance and serves a specific purpose. Here’s a detailed rundown of them:

Swarm Tubes

Swarm tubes, also known as swarm castles, are large tunnels constructed by termite workers to accommodate swarmers that are leaving to start new colonies.

Swarmers move frantically, and when they all leave at once, they can cause chaos. To prevent this and keep the tiny creatures safe during their passage, workers build 4-foot-wide tubes and direct the swarmers into them.

These tubes are meant for a temporary purpose, so they aren’t exceedingly strong. Also, they’re less common in houses than the other types.

Working Tubes

Working tubes are the most important type termites use, as they’re the main path between the colony and the food source. They’re not as large as swarm tubes, often stopping at one inch in diameter, but they last a lot longer because of the purpose they serve.

These tubes, also known as utility tubes, are most commonly found inside wood structures, like window frames and wooden decks. They’re long enough to connect two far points, and thousands of termites travel inside them daily.

Working tubes are challenging to find because they’re often hidden, so your best chance to find them is to hire a professional pest control service.

Drop Tubes

Drop tubes have a unique appearance that you can identify immediately, as they look like stalagmites hanging down from a wood structure toward the ground.

Their main purpose is to connect the ground to other tube types, whether swarm, working, or exploratory. This way, termite workers have quick and easy access to the food source without traveling an entire working tube.

These tubes aren’t highly durable, and they’re lighter in color than the other tubes because their main building material is wood. They’re also more visible and easier to identify.

Exploratory Tubes

Unlike all the other types, exploratory tubes don’t connect a food source to a wooden structure. Instead, termites use them to explore new areas and look for reliable food sources, so they take place inside the soil and end abruptly.

However, the bad news is if you spot an exploratory termite mud tube, it’ll most probably be empty. Termites don’t use these tubes for long, and finding them empty means that the tiny pests found a food source inside your house and have already taken residence inside.

Exploratory mud tubes are often a few feet long, and they rise above the soil where you can easily spot them. In this case, you should immediately contact professional pest management services to remove the infestation before significant structural damage happens.

How to Prevent a Termite Infestation

According to the EPA, there are a few tips you can follow to lessen the chance of a termite infestation. Here’s a quick list of the most important ones:

Fill cracks and crevices in your foundation regularly because termites like to hide there
Fix any water leak you have right away because termites love moisture and thrive in wet environments
Inspect for termite tubes and colonies regularly to catch any infestation early
Avoid planting trees or shrubs right next to any wooden structure around your house
Avoid piling firewood or wood shavings around your property

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Know Whether the Termite Tube I Found Is Active?

Make a small crack in the tube using a sharp object, then wait for a few days and check it. If the crack is still there, the tube is inactive and empty, but if it’s resealed, there’s termite activity inside.

Should I Destroy a Termite Tube If I See It?

No, you shouldn’t. Destroying a termite mud tunnel will cause the termites inside to build another one in a more hidden place, making it challenging to find it. Also, professional pest services need to see these tubes to determine their types and whether they’re old or new. The best action to take once you see one is to get expert help.

To Wrap Up

Termite tubes are hollow structures that termites build to transport from one place to another smoothly. They come in four types: swarm, working, drop, and exploratory, all of which you can identify if you look closely.

Normally, finding a termite tube around your house entails that there’s an active infestation nearby, in which case you’ll need a professional termite inspection to find it.

If you want to learn more information about pest control, check out our website!

July 25, 2023January 22, 2024

How to Get Rid of Chiggers: A Detailed Guide

Many red bugs on the foundation of the house

Have you ever returned from a hike or a day in the woods with itchy red bumps? If so, you may have been bitten by chiggers.

The worst part about chigger bites is that they’re sometimes invisible. They don’t show up immediately, so you could be scratching for days before you even know what’s causing the itch. And if you ignore the bites, they’ll get infected.

What can you do if you’re dealing with these parasites? You can learn how to get rid of chiggers in bed, yard, and other places on your own. Or, you can contact a professional exterminator like Environmental Pest Management for severe outbreaks.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to get rid of chiggers, from prevention to treatment.

What Are Chiggers?

Chiggers or harvest mites are tiny red bugs that can stick to your skin when you walk in grassy areas. They inject digestive enzymes that dissolve and suck up skin cells—causing a red, bumpy, itchy rash that usually goes away after about two days.

How to Get Rid of Chiggers Naturally

You don’t have to spend a fortune on chemicals and treatments to prevent chiggers unless you have a severe infestation. Instead, try these natural remedies:

Mow Your Lawn Often

Chiggers live in tall grass, so mowing your lawn will reduce their habitat by killing most larvae before they become adult chiggers and attach themselves to a host.

Mowing also exposes the critters in their hiding space, allowing you to treat and prevent them from spreading to other locations. It’s why cutting grass is always a part of guides on how to get rid of chiggers in yards.

Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is a natural substance made from the fossils of diatoms. It’s a fine, white powder with sharp edges that cut through the chiggers’ exoskeletons, effectively killing them.

Sprinkle diatomaceous earth on hot spots around your yard to kill the bugs crawling on the ground. Also, apply it to your skin to prevent chigger bites, or add a small amount to your bath water to soothe the itching and swelling.

Use Essential Oils

Some essential oils have insect-repelling properties that work wonders against chiggers. Here are examples:

Tee tree oil
Lavender
Peppermint
Clove
Citronella

To make essential oils effective and prevent them from irritating your skin, dilute them with a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba.

Apply Sulfur

Although sulfur won’t kill chiggers, it disrupts their metabolism, repelling them from your yard.

You must use the right sulfur proportions (1 pound of powder sulfur per 500 square feet of lawn) because a light application will spread the bugs to other areas instead of removing them.

Warning: Sulfur is toxic to pets, so if you have any, it’s best to choose a different method for preventing chiggers.

How to Remove Chiggers Using Chemicals

Sometimes natural methods are ineffective against chiggers, especially if you have an infestation. You may need to turn to inorganic or chemical options to kill these parasites. Consider the following methods:

Use Insecticides

Insecticides are most effective at killing chiggers when you apply them directly to hot spots like tall grass and shady areas. Use insecticides with the following chemicals to kill these bugs:

Cyhalothrin
Bifenthrin
Permethrin
Carbaryl

Apply Topical Treatments

Use insect repellent with DEET to control chiggers by applying them to your skin about 30 minutes before going outdoors. DEET-repellent is available as a spray, lotion, and stick.

Another option is to use ointments containing ingredients such as permethrin or benzyl benzoate, which are also effective against chiggers.

Chiggers vs. Jiggers: What’s the Difference?

Chiggers are mites from the Trombiculidae family found in warm, humid climates, while jiggers are fleas from the Tungidae family found in tropical and subtropical regions.

Chiggers attach to the skin and feed on your blood, causing itchy bumps, while jiggers burrow into the feet, causing more severe symptoms like pain, swelling, and infection.

How Do Chiggers Attach to a Host?

Chiggers attach themselves to human skin with their sharp mouthparts. They use their claws to grip your skin and pierce it with blade-like mouthparts called chelicerae, injecting digestive enzymes that break down skin cells so the bugs suck them up.

What Do Chigger Bites Look Like?

Chigger bites look like small red bumps clustered together and are often confused with mosquito bites. They’re itchy and sometimes even painful and are common around warm areas like the ankles, waist, and groin.

What Is the Fastest Way to Treat Chigger Bites?

The fastest way to cure bites from chigger mites is to wash the affected area with soap and water as soon as you notice any swellings or feel intense itching. This will remove any remaining bugs on your skin.

Anti-itch cream or calamine lotion is also effective for relieving the itch. Here are additional tips for curing chiggers bites:

Avoid scratching the bites, as this causes infections.
Take an over-the-counter antihistamine, like Benadryl, to help reduce the itch.
Apply a cold compress to the bites to reduce the swelling and itching.
See a doctor for treatment if the bites are severe.

Does Rubbing Alcohol Kill Chiggers?

No, rubbing alcohol doesn’t kill chiggers. Chiggers are mites and don’t burrow into the skin. So, while rubbing alcohol kills some bacteria, it won’t eradicate the parasites.

Rubbing alcohol worsens chigger bites worse by drying out the skin, making you itch more.

How Do You Stop Chiggers From Spreading?

Chiggers spread from one part of your body to another. To stop them wash your skin with soap and water when you notice a chigger bite. You should also avoid scratching chigger bites because you may spread them.

Check out these extra tips to help stop spreading the parasites:

Wear long sleeves or pants in areas where chiggers are common.
Buy permethrin-treated clothing to protect yourself from chigger bites.
Tuck your pants into your socks.
Apply insect repellent containing DEET or permethrin.
Wash clothes and bedding in hot water if they’ve been exposed to chiggers.

Can I Get Chiggers From Someone Who Has Them?

No, chiggers aren’t contagious. They won’t spread from one person to another through touch, contact with clothing, or sharing beds because they don’t burrow into the host’s exposed skin. They attach to it, feed on the blood, and drop off and die.

How Long Do Chiggers Stay On You?

Chiggers stay on you for 2-4 days after they bite. They are more active in warm weather and need to feed for a specified time before falling off.

If you think you have chiggers, wash your skin with soap and water and apply an anti-itch cream to stop scratching.

Get Rid of Chiggers Today!

If you ignore the signs of a chigger infestation, the problem will worsen. These parasites will continue to bite you, and the bites will become more itchy, leading to infections and severe health issues.

If you’re dealing with pests and parasites like ants, bed bugs, chiggers, mice, fleas, rats, roaches, termites, and other insects in the Twin Cities area, contact Environmental Pest Management. Our control services will help you get rid of chiggers quickly and effectively.

May 21, 2021January 23, 2024

Keep an Eye Out For These 7 Types of Ants in Minnesota

A very closeup portrait of an ant isolated on white.

Spring has sprung in the Midwest, unleashing a plethora of pests, including – ants! Environmental Pest Management knows everything about ants (and whatever else is bugging you). And are here to help discuss the types of ants in Minnesota.

They’ve been in the business since 1986, and service the Twin Cities metro area, its surrounding suburbs, and parts of western Wisconsin, too.

Whether your ant infestation is at home or work, Environmental Pest Management is here to handle whatever’s bugging you. Contact them today for a FREE quote.

Common Types Of Ants in Minnesota

In Spring, ants are eager to find a food source and a nice place to live. Their presence can be a big problem until you call a pest control professional. Environmental Pest Control has helpful ways that you can prepare your home for warmer weather.

Although there are 12,500 different ant species, only about ten call Minnesota home. If you see red ants, don’t freak out! It’s doubtful that they’re Imported Fire Ants.

Here are the most common types of ants in Minnesota:

Carpenter Ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)

These ants are some of the biggest you’ll encounter! Reaching 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch in length, they are usually black or brownish. They may also have long yellow or gray hairs.

Cornfield Ants (Lasius alienus)

Often mistaken for Carpenter Ants, Cornfield Ants are pale to dark brown but can also be red, black, or a mixture of colors. They range in size from 1/10-inch long to 1/4-inch long. Unlike Carpenter Ants, this odorous house ant emits a nasty odor when crushed.

Field Ants (Formica spp.)

These ants are medium-to-large in size, ranging from 1⁄5 to ⅜ inches in length. Their color can vary as some are black, while others are a combination of black and red. Although these ants don’t nest in your home, they build large ant mounds in your yard, which are unsightly and problematic.

Larger Yellow Ants (Acanthomyops interjectus)

If you smell lemons when you kill or disturb these ants, you’ve got Larger Yellow Ants in your home. These ants range in color from yellow to brownish-red, and workers grow to around 3/16-inch long.

Pavement Ants (Tetramorium caespitum)

Pavement ants are a bit like watching “Game of Thrones.” These warring ants fight each other over territory. The pavement ant only grows to 1/8-inch in length and has a reddish-brown or black body. Furrows line the heads of pavement ants from top to bottom.

Pharaoh Ants (Monomorium pharaonis)

These tiny-but-mighty ants are about 1/16-inch long with pale yellow to red bodies with a darker color in their middle sections. They are often mistaken for other ant species.

Thief Ants (Solenopsis molesta)

These little buggers measure about 1/10-1/16 inches. They may have a range in color from yellowish to brown. One unique feature is that their antennae have ten segments with a two-segmented club. In comparison, Pharaoh Ants have 12 segmented antennae ending with a three-segmented club.

Spring Cleaning to Help Prevent Ants

As we’ve mentioned, Spring is the time ants become active again. Now is an excellent time to go through the following rooms to check for signs of ants and other pests:

Bathroom
Basement
Kitchen
Outside

It is also wise to check the seals around your doors and windows. Ants are persistent, creative creatures and can easily find their way into seemingly closed-off homes.

Sometimes a deep cleaning and good ol’ ant traps are all that’s needed to get rid of ants. You think you clean up well enough, but they come back before you know it, and further, any control is needed. That’s the time to call Environmental Pest Management for a free quote.

What Ants Prefer

Carpenter Ants: These ants love wood and wooden structures, especially rotting, wet or damaged wood. They’ll tunnel through the rotting wood to build their nests under your bathroom floor, roof, or behind walls. Carpenter Ants love grease, meats, and anything sweet.
Cornfield Ants: OUCH! Did you know the Cornfield Ant bites? Luckily, the bite isn’t serious and merely causes a slight itch or stinging. True to their name, Cornfield Ants prefer to nest outdoors. These ant nests leave unsightly craters in lawns or planters as the colony increases. If you’ve found Cornfield Ants in your home, it means you have moisture in your home’s wood.
Field Ants: Like Cornfield Ants, these sizeable ants create mounds in open areas like lawns and meadows. Although they don’t nest in homes, they may find a way inside when swarming or searching for food. Common points of entry are loose weather stripping and cracked windows. Ant nests built close to the foundation may also enable ants to enter your home quickly.
Larger Yellow Ants: These nocturnal ants get busy at night. Like Pavement Ants, these pests often nest under concrete or home foundations. Although they don’t damage masonry, they can be very tricky to control once established.
Pavement Ants: These ants love greasy foods and sweets like most other pest ants. They often enter homes through the nests that they build under concrete slabs and homes with concrete foundations. They also like to nest under heated slab foundations throughout the winter.
Pharaoh Ants: Pharaoh ants feast on high-fat and sugary foods. They also enjoy a good snack of soap, toothpaste, and other hygiene products. If you notice them coming back again and again, it’s because they leave a pheromone trail to show other ants where your goodies are. The ants will infest your food stores in large numbers if they find food in the same spot twice.
Thief Ants: Thief Ants get into your home through cracks in your woodwork, holes in walls, and open doors. These ants feed on greasy foods high in protein or sweets. During your Spring cleaning, make sure to check your children’s room to make sure there’s no candy hiding under the bed or in the closet.

Help Is On The Way

If infestations are hard to manage yourself, it’s best to call in the past professionals at Environmental Pest Management. They’ll immediately identify the problem and fix it. Contact them today for your FREE quote.

January 4, 2021January 23, 2024

Fill Your Garden With These Beneficial Insects

A ladybug being a beneficial isnects and hunting aphids on a plant.

Whether you have a decorative or food garden keeping it pest-free is important. While pesticides are an effective way to keep insects away from your yard, they are not naturally occurring. For your home garden, try adding some predatory and beneficial insects instead.

Beneficial insects will keep your garden free of harmful bugs that may destroy the fruits of your labor. Keep reading to learn more about the right insects to add around your home to have a beautiful and bountiful garden.

But, if you need a little help getting started, Environmental Pest Management is ready to assist you by safely and effectively ridding your home and garden of unwanted pests or rodents. Contact us today, and we’ll work together to develop your pest-control plan.

What Are Beneficial Insects?

Beneficial bugs eat others, and in turn, provide natural pest control. These helpful insects are mainly attracted to flowering plants and can sometimes be purchased in stores online.

Beneficial insects feed as both young and adults on other bugs. These bugs are ideal for helping to control unwanted Aphid, Whitefly, and Mealybug populations.

Examples of beneficial insects include a Minute Pirate Bug, Lady Beetle (also known as a Ladybug), and Crab Spider. Another type of valuable insect species is called a Parasitoid. They seek other insects as hosts in which to lay their eggs.

Small wasps are common parasitoids. When these wasp eggs hatch, the young feed and develop within the insect host and eventually kill it.

The MSU Extension has an educational and colorful brochure that shows these and other beneficial predator bugs that work well to prevent other harmful insects.

The Pollinators

When it comes to beneficial insects, there are more than just predatory bugs you want.

By far, pollinating is the most common reason any insect is thought of when ‘good.’

Pollination is an integral part of plant reproduction. According to the U.S. Forest Service, pollination creates crucial genetic diversity and allows for adequate fruit growth and seed dispersal.

Without pollination, there likely wouldn’t be many plants.

Bees are one of the most popular pollinators.

In the Midwest, there are five prominent bee families. The family names are Apidae, Andrenidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae, and Colletidae.

Included in the Apidae family are honey bees, bumblebees, and carpenter bees. These are familiar sights to most people who step outside in the spring, summer, and early fall.

Honey bees need little explanation. They collect pollen, then it falls during transport, making honey in their nest from the nectar.

Bumblebees are also important pollinators.

Interestingly, Bumblebees pollinate by sonicating or buzzing and by using their tongue.

This sonicating is necessary to get the most pollen loose from these plants. Their loud buzzing isn’t to scare you at all, but rather a useful adaptation that makes them the super-pollinators they are.

Bumblebees vibrate their wing muscles, making a buzzing noise, which causes the anthers to shake out pollen grains, successfully pollinating plants.

Bring The Good Bugs to You

Use integrated pest management theory to attract beneficial bugs while you control garden pests.

Certain plants will attract the beneficial insects you want.

All flowers and plants to be discussed are native to the north-central United States. In the Twin Cities area, helpful bugs and garden pests won’t have flowering plants to feed on until mid-late May.

Whether you are planting for food or aesthetic purposes, flowers can provide a safety border. For instance, to protect your tomato plants, add some marigolds.

Marigolds naturally attract aphids. Aphids are tasty and call to good predators like Crab Spiders, Ladybugs, and Pirate Bugs. If the Aphids and predator bugs are distracted by your Marigolds, it will give your tomato plants some much-needed protection.

Creating a Security Border

When you prepare your gardens to attract the good bugs, you also protect your home from unwanted pests.

Think of a floral security border as you would a child’s pinwheel. It spins, like the seasons changing, yet you always see colors.

In the first of the growing season, mid-late May, little more than wild strawberry or Golden Alexanders will grow. As you move into June, more variety is available, including hairy Beardtongue, Angelica, and Cow Parsnip.

In July, flowering options widen more. Indian Hemp, Late Figwort, Culver’s Root, and more are excellent options to draw those beneficial insects, the bees.

It may be a reflex to swat when you hear the buzzing sound. Science shows more and more benefits bees offer to our environment.

Once you have planted your vegetables or flowers, welcome the buzz!.

You’ve given these beneficial insects a buffet of pollen and nectar to devour, and they’ll return the favor by pollinating your plants.

Do you want to identify plants in your garden? This colorful graph matches the flowers’ names and pictures.

Michigan State University gives detailed information regarding plants grown throughout the northern midwest. It is an exceptional resource for using biological control of unwanted pests.

One More Good Bug

Ground Beetle is a catch-all name given to one of the types of beneficial insects in the Carabidae family. They are also known as Carabids.

Ground Beetles are among the largest insect families, with approximately 40,000 species worldwide and 2,339 species in the United States. The adult beetles hunt primarily on the soil surface but sometimes climb into the foliage, searching for food.

While the adults are beneficial insects, the burrowing larvae of these beetles also seek out and feed on pests in the soil. Many ground beetle species have broad feeding habits, eating other insects and plants’ seeds (including weeds). Ground Beetles like to snack on mites, slugs, snails, caterpillars, cutworms, earwigs, vine borers, aphids, and other insects.

If you find your garden is infested by any of these unwanted bugs, it might be time to call in the Ground Beetles.

You Aren’t Alone

We’ve offered some creative and earth-friendly ideas to control bad bugs around your home, office, or other commercial building. If you don’t have the time or desire to do it on your own, don’t stress.

Protect your home from unwanted pests. Reach out to Environmental Pest Management for an inspection today.

November 24, 2020January 23, 2024

Flea Bites: Identifying and Managing Unwanted Pests

Flea Bites: Identifying and Managing Unwanted Pests

Nothing puts a damper on summer fun like insect bites. But if you’re still getting itchy red bumps after going indoors, you may be dealing with flea bites.

Fleas like to hitch a ride on furry pets. When your dog lies in the yard, he’s an easy target. After your pet comes inside, you’re an easy target, too.

If you need help debugging your home, contact Environmental Pest Management today. Our pest control experts will provide a solution that works for you. Get your free quote today.

The Basics About Fleas

Fleas are parasites that hop onto any warm-blooded host available. Their strong claws make them difficult to dislodge. Hair or fur can make them difficult to spot.

Fleas have strong hind legs that give them the ability to jump about 12 inches vertically. Bites on your lower legs and feet are often caused by fleas.

Fleas reproduce by laying eggs. Eggs can take anywhere from 2 days to two weeks to hatch.

After hatching, flea larvae grow in dark, humid environments. The dark and humidity under a carpet is a perfect habitat for them.

After another 1-2 weeks, the flea larva spins itself into a cocoon. It emerges as an adult about four days later.

The adult flea lives about 2-3 months and may lay about 5000 eggs in that time. An adult flea can bite and feed up to 400 times a day.

How Do I Know If I Have Flea Bites?

Fleas are tiny – about the size of the tip of a pencil. They are small enough that you might not notice them if you aren’t looking for them.

Fleas can’t fly, but they jump. This little bug packs a big bite. A flea will continue to bite until it is gorged and leave a raised, itchy welt.

Take a good look at your pet. Brush his fur and look for small, black dots.

Unlike other bug bites, flea bites are likely to occur on your lower legs and feet. A series of red bumps may be the outcome of walking through a flea-infested area.

Scratching the bite may cause increased itching. Treat bites with an itch cream containing hydrocortisone. Many creams are available without a prescription.

Though uncommon, flea bites cause an allergic reaction in some people. Symptoms range from hives to difficulty breathing. If you have severe itching, swelling, or shortness of breath, seek medical attention.

Flea bites can last up to three weeks but normally disappear within several days if you refrain from scratching them.

Fleas can transmit diseases, including plague, tapeworms, and typhus, but this is very unusual. It is more likely that scratching those itchy red spots will break the skin, resulting in an infection.

What Do I Do If I Have Fleas?

If your home is infected, there are steps you can take to get rid of fleas:

1.Treat your pet and your home at the same time. Bug control requires a blitz attack. If you treat Rover this weekend but don’t vacuum until next weekend, bugs will re-infest in short order. Treat your pet with a flea shampoo, and follow up with preventive treatment. Talk to your veterinarian about the best product for your pet.

2. Vacuum. Do the floors, the furniture, the baseboards, and any other small areas of your home that fleas or their larvae could be tucked into. Take your vacuum outside to empty it.

3. Steam clean the carpets.

4. Wash all the bedding in hot water, including your pet beds and blankets. Dry them at the highest setting the items can handle.

5. Apply an insecticide that kills both adult fleas and eggs. Wear gloves and a face mask, and leave the area until the spray dries.

6. Vacuum again to get any remaining fleas or eggs.

Keep in mind that flea larvae may be dormant for weeks or months, waiting until the temperature is ideal. If you miss any eggs, you could be starting this process again soon.

Fleas In Your Yard

If you’ve just eliminated fleas from your home, you don’t want your pet to carry fleas right back in. Don’t wait to discover another round of flea bites. Take action to keep fleas out of your yard.

Fleas prefer shady, humid spaces. Your pet might also consider that shady spot a good place to relax and nap.

If Fido has fleas, and he likes to lie under the elm tree, odds are you will find fleas living under that tree.

Take these steps to reduce insect bites in your yard and new infestations in your home:

Mow the grass. Fleas like to hide in tall grass. Grass that is less than 2 inches tall deters their natural predators, so aim for 3-4 inches.
Clean out any areas of damp leaves or other debris. Fleas love to hide and lay eggs in these deposits.
Don’t overwater your yard. Fleas love soggy ground and compost.
Apply a flea killing treatment. There are several sprays and pellets on the market.

If you’re uncomfortable using an insecticide, a natural alternative is to release the fleas’ natural predators into the environment. Nematodes can be purchased at your local garden store. These tiny organisms live in soil and help control many garden insects.

Add cedar mulch around plants and in shady areas. Cedar is a natural flea deterrent.

Once your flea infestation is under control, apply a preventive treatment o a regular basis to keep them from coming back.

Consider Professional Help

Flea control requires a targeted approach.

Be flea-free without tearing your hair out (or shaving your pet’s hair off.) Contact Environmental Pest Management today. We’ll provide a solution that takes the stress off. Get your free quote today.