The Knoxville Pest & Wildlife Guide
One day, you're trimming some bushes by the side of your house when you're suddenly attacked by a swarm of angry wasps. After treating the painful stings, you cautiously return outside and realize there's a papery nest hanging down beneath your roof. This is an unpleasant situation that many homeowners in Knoxville find themselves in and they all have the same question: how do I get rid of this wasp nest without getting stung a hundred times?
- Written by: Staff
A pest is defined as "a destructive insect or other animal that attacks crops, food, livestock, etc." Almost any type of bug or critter can become a pest to your home, but there are certain species in the Knoxville area that are particularly likely to invade your property. To prevent your home from suffering damage and contamination, it's important to be able to recognize pest species and take measures to get rid of them. Keep reading to learn more about some of the most common household pests in the area.
5 Pest Species That Often Invade Knoxville Homes
Rats and mice are common household pests in Knoxville. Both are small gray or brown furry critters, but rats are much larger than mice. While mice max out at about 6 inches long from nose to tail tip, rats can grow to be a foot and a half long. If you've seen signs of rodent activity such as gnawed wood or pellet droppings, you should set up traps in areas where rodents commonly hide, like the basement and garage. For added protection, install bait stations around your home exterior to eliminate rats and mice that try to get in.
Ants of various species often come marching into homes in Knoxville. Ants come in a rainbow of colors including black, brown, red, and gold. Depending on the species, these six-legged insects can be 1/16 inch to half an inch long. When ants begin swarming in areas of your home such as the kitchen and bathroom, place ant bait traps around to systematically eliminate them. However, ongoing ant infestations will usually require help from a professional exterminator.
One of the most hated household pests in Knoxville, cockroaches commonly hole up in our bathrooms and kitchens. Different roach species may be dark brown, reddish brown or black in color, but all have an ovular body with long antennae. Adult cockroaches are usually an inch to 1.5 inches long. If you've been having cockroach issues in your home, the best solution is a combination of placing bait traps and using a roach killer spray on any of the pests you see scurrying about.
The most destructive of all household pests in Knoxville, termites will eat their way through any wooden structures in your home. These insects grow ¼ inch to ½ inch long, and are tan or reddish in color. Sometimes mistaken for ants, termites can be distinguished by their much larger heads and straighter body shapes. Unfortunately, because termites are subterranean, infestations often go unnoticed for a long time. If you do notice signs of termites, such as mud tubes along your home exterior or piles of frass - wood powder created by boring termites - then your safest option is to call a local exterminator to get rid of these pests before they cause extensive damage.
Several species of stinging insects call Knoxville home, and they can become a nuisance if they decide to build a nest on your property. Bees, wasps, and hornets can be easily mistaken for one another up close, but they can be distinguished with a closer glance. All of them are flying insects that range from half an inch to a full inch long, and most have yellow-and-black-striped bodies, but bees have furry bodies, while wasps are thinner and smoother. Upon discovering a wasp nest in or near your home, you may attempt to eliminate the stinging pests with a long-range spray and then physically remove the nest. However, the safer option is to call a professional pest control company.
Have a Pest Problem? Our Pros Have a Solution
Whatever sort of household pests have been causing you trouble, it's always the right choice to seek help from the professionals. Give Critter Wranglers a call today if you're in need of our pest control services in the greater Knoxville area!
- Written by: Staff
When you're a new homeowner in Knoxville, it can be tempting to place all your focus on setting up your house the way you want and exploring the community you've moved into. But take our word for it: nothing sours the purchase of a home quite like having household pests move in with you. After all, how can you rest easy in your new home knowing that there are mice racing through the walls or roaches scurrying about beneath the kitchen sink?
- Written by: Staff
How to Safely Manage Nuisance Wildlife in Knoxville Yards
Having wildlife in your yard isn't always a bad thing. It can be a lot of fun to watch rambunctious animals like squirrels and raccoons messing around in your yard. Certain wildlife species, like bats and birds, can even help out by keeping mosquito populations in your yard under control. Problems tend to arise when critters begin to see your yard as their territory, which may lead to them being destructive or aggressive.
There are several wildlife species in Knoxville that are known to become nuisances to local homeowners, invading yards and staking their claim. When this happens, it's important to safely and humanely restore control of your yard. Continue reading for some advice on how to safely manage nuisance wildlife in your yard.
Strategies to Prevent & Remove Wildlife in Your Yard
- When it comes to wildlife, just as is the case with diseases, prevention is always better than cure. If you've been having nuisance wildlife problems in your yard in Knoxville, your first step should be to make your yard less appealing to these critters. While there are many kinds of wildlife, most of them want the same thing: food. Bird-watching is a popular hobby but, unfortunately, bird seed will also attract squirrels, raccoons, and other wild animals to your yard. If you want to keep feeding the birds, position your feeders as far from your home as possible to reduce the risk that other wildlife will become a menace to your yard or try to enter your home. It's also best to avoid leaving pet food outside overnight, since animals like skunks and opossums will happily munch on it. If you have outdoor trash cans with food waste, place tight-fitting lids on them to keep nuisance wildlife at bay.
Beyond food, wildlife may also rely on your yard if it has a source of clean water such as a pond, fountain or pool. If you've noticed that your yard is becoming a popular drinking hole for local wildlife, consider making it more difficult for animals to get at the standing water in your yard. Place covers or fencing around pools and ponds to keep wildlife away. Unfortunately, smaller animals may still be able to slip through, but this should be enough to deter larger wildlife like geese and raccoons.
Another good way to keep nuisance wildlife out of your yard in Knoxville is to limit areas where they can hide. Because of predators, most animals don't like to be exposed and will always favor yards with lots of tree cover, brush, and other places to hide. There's not much you can do about trees, but you can trim back shrubs and avoid planting them near your house so that critters like skunks and snakes don't use them for shelter. It's also best not to keep piles of firewood or brush on your property, since rodents will often hide and nest in these.
For the best protection against nuisance wildlife in your yard, hire a wildlife control company in Knoxville. Professional wildlife management specialists can aid you with habitat modification to make your yard less attractive to local critters, and also set up barriers to keep wild animals out. If you have any particularly pesky critters that you want gone, these professionals can also perform wildlife trapping and removal services.
Knoxville's #1 Wildlife Prevention Company
When you're tired of wild animals making a mess of your yard, our technicians can help you manage their nuisance behavior. Get in touch with Critter Wranglers today if you're looking for wildlife exclusion services in the Knoxville area!
- Written by: Staff