There are literally thousands of spider species in North America, all of which are important parts of a healthy ecosystem. While most pose no threat to humans and pets, there are a handful of species that are considered pests and can cause serious health problems or death. Here are some of the most common dangerous spiders and what to do about them.

WIDOW SPIDERS

Widow spiders can be identified by their messy, tangled webs. The black widow is the most familiar widow species and is typically found in the American South and Southwest.

All but the false widow posses the characteristic hourglass pattern on their undersides. Interestingly, only the females are dangerous. The small, drab-colored males are harmless. That said, any pest control company will tell you that the female widows bite can cause serious problems. These include severe pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches and severe muscle cramps. In small children, the elderly and those with compromised immunity, the bite can be fatal.

RECLUSES

The most well-known species in this group can be identified by the telltale violin pattern on its head. These spiders are mainly restricted to the Southern states. However, there are other recluse varieties in many portion of the US that pose little or no threat. True to their name, recluses prefer to stay hidden and aren’t aggressive.

They’re wandering hunters, which means that they don’t spin webs. The danger of these spiders, while real, is dramatically over-blown. It’s common for people to mistake insect bites, MRSA and certain skin conditions as recluse bites, even when these cases occur outside of the spiders’ natural range. Even if you live in an area where the recluse population is abundant, few actual bites occur.

It’s best to take preventative measures instead of having to deal with one of these intimidating creatures in person. Avoid having piles of junk or clutter in your house or garage. Never stick your hand into boxes or anywhere where you can not see into the space. These are prime places where spiders take up residence. It’s best advised to not deal with these types of spiders on your own as they are no easy feat for the average homeowner.

Seek out professional help from a local company, if you are dealing with a spider situation in an outdoor garden or around the house.

Your restaurant in El Mirage is important to you as well as the health and well being of your patrons along with your continued success. If at any point your restaurant becomes infested with Cockroaches it’s important to have infestation exterminated by a professional pest control specialist in a timely manner.

Cockroaches are attracted to warm, moist environments. They spend the daytime hours in dark areas such as under refrigerators, stoves, and false bottoms in kitchen cabinets, the backs of cabinets and between baseboards, floors, cabinets and walls. Cockroaches leave these areas at night to look for food and water. If you see cockroaches during the day this may be an indication of a larger infestation and should contact a Bug Guardian Specialist immediately.  By the point of a large infestation any do-it-yourself pest control attempts will be ineffective against a large population of cockroaches.

Cockroach Identification:

The only good cockroach is a dead one that’s why the first step to eliminating the cockroach infestation is to determine the type of cockroach present. At Bug Guardian we use our extensive knowledge of the preferences and habitats of each species to provide more accurate and effective control of the infestation.

Cockroach Removal:

The first step to any removal method is the sanitation of the area that the roaches are attracted to. Anything that can be done to eliminate the sources of food and water from the Cockroaches home will help to control the infestation.

Once sanitation is complete the next step is extermination of the cockroaches. This is done through the use of trapping, baits, insecticides, and dusts. A pest control technician will suggest which method is best for removal and go over your options.

After removal is complete we always suggest having a routine pest control maintenance plan to reduce the risk of infestation from cockroaches or any other pests.

At Bug Guardian Pest Control, our goal is to help you in the shortest time possible, while resolving your cockroach problems in the most cost effective manner. All of our technicians are professionally trained and our service is a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Call Bug Guardian today at (480) 345-2847.

Springtime brings warmer weather and beautiful flowering plants to the desert landscapes in Queen Creek.  The splash of color and lovely scent of these flowers attract not only human attention but also hundreds of thousands of bees.  Although bees can be docile and help in the growth of plants, they can also swarm and sting when they feel threatened.  Bee stings can be potentially fatal if a person is severely allergic, not to mention painful and dangerous to children and pets.   A sad reminder of this occurred on March 12th in Florence, AZ when bees swarmed and attacked a child and four dogs, Three of the dogs did not survive.  So what should you do if you see a bee swarm, bee hive or honeycomb on or around your Queen Creek residence?  Let us help with some preventative tips and an explanation of the delicate bee removal process.

Tips for Bee Control & Removal in Queen Creek

1. Prevent Bee Colonies From Settling In Your House

   • Bee hives can be found in chimneys, on roofs, on the high eaves of your house or outdoor buildings (like work sheds or garages), as well as barbeques, hot tubs or any hollow area. Close any openings that you can in the walls or roof and put tight covers on barbeque grills or hot tubs. Tight mesh over your chimney will also discourage any bees from settling in these spaces.
   • If you see a huge swarm of bees on or around your home don’t panic!  Save some money before calling bee removal experts and try to observe if they are flying into any space or if they are just a feral bee swarm, which is a bee colony that is trying to find a new home. These colonies  may merely rest for 24-48 hours before moving on.
     After 3 days, if there continues to be a lot of bees flying around your home then you most likely have a hive somewhere. If it is endangering any people or animals then you should call to have it removed.

2. Removing Bee Hives or Colonies

   • Don’t think a colony of bees will just go away after a week or two! If bees have decided your home is a good place to make their new home then they start making a hive which, if hidden and undisturbed, can stay there for years.
   • Queen Creek has such mild winters that bees can swarm most any time of year, but are more likely to build new hives during early spring and through the summer.
   • If you encounter a hive it is not advised to approach the bees or to remove the beehive yourself as it is very difficult to determine whether they are docile honey bees or the extremely aggressive Africanized bee
   • Because Africanized bees (aka ‘killer bees’) have been known to attack even if loud noises come near their hive it is best to leave bee colony or beehive removal to the professionals that have special equipment and protective clothing that can handle getting into tight spaces with thousands of bees

3. Safeguard from Future Bee Invasion

   • Once the physical hive is removed it is important to determine if there is any honey comb left behind and to ensure it is removed as well. Bee’s honey comb will start melting in our hot Arizona temperatures which creates a horrible stench, causes damage to drywall and stucco and also attracts ants, roaches and even more bees.
   • Discuss any follow-up action plans with your bee removal or pest control company and depending on your needs, keeping a certain level of monthly or quarterly pest control management may help avoid future issues.

This time of year bee swarms are very common and because the species are so difficult to differentiate, please don’t take any unnecessary risks. If you see a lot of bee activity over consecutive days and are living in Queen Creek or the surrounding areas please call a local bee removal or pest control company to help address your concerns.

As the weather starts to warm up, critters of all kinds start coming out of the woodwork (sometimes literally) so if you need  additional reasons for pest control in your Phoenix area home, here’s some information we think you’ll find useful.

Did you know?

• A female House cricket produces an average of 730 eggs and these eggs hatch in 2-3 months.
• 1 queen fire ant can reproduce 1,600 new fire ant workers every day.
• Arizona contends with the most ant species of any other state.

How pests get in

They gain entry into your home easily as they are great at finding cracks around doors and windows or open spaces around cables or wires that were not properly sealed.   A tiny scorpion can fit through holes the size of a dime while ants and smaller creatures squeeze through much smaller holes.  A good rule of thumb to follow is that if you can see daylight coming through any areas around your doors, windows or foundation, then pests will find their way into your home.

 Your home is inviting

Pests come into your home because they like the environment-there’s water, food and it’s warm.  Your home is like a buffet to bugs with an unending source of food.  Pests will often follow other pests;  for example, scorpions and spiders feed on crickets so they often follow their ‘food source’ into your house and then you have not 1 pest problem, but several.

 But I only see a few. . .

These little creatures don’t need much space so they hide in little cracks and crevices and many times, you might not even know they’re there (at least not right away).  A few roaches (or ants or crickets) can grow into a full-blown infestation very quickly.   That’s why we recommend calling at the first sight of critters as if you can see 1 or 2, you can bet there’s many more you can’t see as your home is the perfect place for them to set up a nest and breed.

What can I do to prevent this?

There are many things you can do to discourage pests from coming into your home and it starts with your yard.  Weeds around your home are a great breeding ground for pests so use a weed emergent to kill weeds and keep them under control.  Trim shrubs and plants so they aren’t touching your house and keep your grass cut low.  Clean up dead plants, fallen branches and woodpiles and make sure you have no standing pools of water as water is like a beacon calling pests to the area.

 Seal up your home

Critters are small and do not need an invitation to come inside so do an inspection around your home to find any places where you can see daylight coming in as that’s their open door.  These areas need to be sealed and standard caulking will do the job.  There are also less obvious hiding places, such as the underside of the weep screed of your stucco siding- crickets like to live there because of the moisture.

We all look forward to warmer weather and unfortunately, so do the pests so that’s your reason for pest control in Phoenix.

What do you like to do in Arizona? If you’re like most, Arizona is a great place to spend time out in nature. However the Arizona summer is right around the corner, and when you think of summer you think of taking a hike up a mountain, walk down a nature trail, catch some fish in a river, cook a hotdog on a stick over an open campfire, eat a marshmallow, watch the sunset, swim in a lake, have a gathering in the backyard, mow your lawn, and swat a mosquito. In fact, you’re likely to do that last one while doing all the others; but there are some ways to prevent bites this summer.

Top Tips for Preventing Mosquito Bites in Order of Effectiveness

• Don’t go out. Obviously, if you stay inside and you have good screens on your home, you don’t have a lot to worry about as far as mosquitoes go; but this isn’t exactly practical.
• Don’t go out in the morning or the evening. Mosquitoes are least active during the afternoon when the sun is high in the sky, but more active in the morning and evening when there is some shade. Choose to go out in the middle of the day if you want fewer bites.
• Don’t go where there are more mosquitoes. If you avoid areas that have shade or areas of still water, you can avoid bites as well.
• If you must go out when mosquitoes are active, or into areas where mosquitoes are more abundant, your safest option is to use netting to protect you. Netting isn’t just used in tents. There are companies that make clothing that has netting. Hats, jackets, shirts, and pants can have netting applied; but, of course, this kind of apparel isn’t always desirable.
• If clothing with netting isn’t for you, consider wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants when possible. This can give mosquitoes less areas of skin to attack. However, be aware that mosquitoes can bite through some materials–as you probably already know.
• Your next option is repellent. We recommend something that has 20% DEET in it.
• If you don’t want chemicals on your skin, consider spraying the DEET repellent on your clothing, or consider a natural alternative like a repellent with oil of lemon eucalyptus or citronella.
• Wear light-colored clothing to make it harder for mosquitoes to lock onto you.

Mosquitoes are an inevitable part of summer, and these pests can be more than just an annoyance. They can carry many viruses that have severe symptoms. Protect yourself when you go out and consider mosquito services from a trusted pest control specialist like Bug Guardian Pest Prevention to reduce mosquitoes in your backyard. Fewer mosquitoes mean fewer bites. And fewer mosquito bites makes summer better.