Look Out for These Basement Bugs

What do you do if you see basement bugs? Instinct might say “sell the house!” but good news: you have less drastic solutions available.

Let’s look at what kinds of bugs you might find downstairs and how to prevent and eliminate these pest problems.

Like pill bugs, some might be annoying, while others, like termites, could damage your home.

If you are unsure if you have bugs in your basement, call the experts. Reach out to Environmental Pest Management for a free quote today.

What Basement Bugs Might Homeowners See?

You might not see any if you don’t look quickly when you click on the lights! Basement bugs scooch out of sight because most prefer places that are dark and damp.

Here are the usual suspects:

Earwigs and spiders
Termites and carpenter ants
Pillbugs and sowbugs
Centipedes and millipedes
Camel crickets and cockroaches

Let’s look at who’s on the lineup for pest control services.

Earwigs and Spiders

Earwigs are also called pincer bugs because of the pincers they use to fight other earwigs. They may appear scary but are rarely harmful to humans.

They like being outside where they can feast on decaying plant matter. They may have accidentally hitchhiked to your basement in boxes or come in an unsealed crack.

With their trademark eight legs (instead of the buggy six), spiders are not insects. Their presence may still bug you, though! Like earwigs, they look frightening to many people and are undesirable visitors.

Termites and Carpenter Ants

In Minnesota, we’re more likely to deal with dry wood than subterranean termites, but both do show up here.

Termites are not directly dangerous to you and your family, but they can cause significant harm to your home.

Carpenter ants might bite you, but again, the biggest trouble with them is they’re likely to damage structures. Professional pest control will evict these unwelcome wood destroyers.

Pill Bugs and Sowbugs

You may have fun childhood memories of pillbugs as the roly-poly bugs that ball up when touched. Sowbugs look similar but don’t roll into balls.

These bugs are not scientifically insects. Instead, they are crustaceans related to their water cousins like crawdads and lobsters.

As land-dwelling crustaceans, pillbugs and sowbugs need reliable moisture sources to survive.

Centipedes and Millipedes

Centipedes have 30 legs, not a hundred as their name might suggest. Likewise, millipedes don’t have a thousand legs but do have up to 90.

Both come inside buildings seeking warmth.

Millipedes won’t usually live long indoors. They may produce a foul-smelling liquid in self-defense. Avoid touching them as this can be irritating to bare skin.

Centipedes are an ally in that they eat other pests like spiders and flies. Even so, they can bite, so avoid contact with them.

If you see centipedes, let it be a red flag that other basement bugs likely need removal.

Camel Crickets and Cockroaches

Camel crickets have a humpback shape for which they’re named. You won’t hear camel crickets as they don’t make chirps. They do jump, so watch out!

Cockroaches are winged red-brown oval-shaped bugs about an inch or longer. They don’t bite often but can transmit diseases.

You may see their feces or eggs before you see them. They’re also foul-smelling, so their odor may give them away too.

What Keeps the Bugs Out?

Take these steps to reduce the number of basement bugs that make their way inside.

Block Their Entry Point

Basement bugs use nearby brush and debris as bridges from their natural outdoor environment into your home. Keeping the foundation cleared helps deter them.

Clean the perimeter as the first line of defense.

Seal Cracks and Crevices

Get out your caulk gun and go hunting to seal any cracks you find. All of these basement bugs will take advantage of tiny openings.

Remove Their Food Source

Removing leaves and decaying garden matter from nearby your home will shut down the outdoor bug buffet.

Inside your basement, keep your food stored on shelves in sealed containers. This will prevent your food from becoming theirs!

Eliminate Moisture

Water is the enemy of housing structures. Ensuring a dry building helps your home itself and keeps it unwelcoming to basement bugs.

Many bugs like centipedes need dark and damp habitats to survive. Making your basement light, bright, and dry will be comfortable for you and hostile to pests.

Audit the pipes and plumbing in your downstairs rooms and crawl spaces to confirm there are no leaks. Fix any drips or condensation problems.

How Do You Get Free of Basement Bugs?

After you’ve taken measures to secure your home, you may still discover basement bugs.

Catch and Release

If you feel inclined, you can escort the trespasser off-premises. Cover it with a clear glass container and slide a piece of firm paper or cardstock underneath.

Take care if you try this approach, as some basement bugs do bite or pinch! Cautiously carry the covered critter outside and release it far away from your home.

License to Kill

Of course, this is your home, and you can kill basement bugs at will! There are some simple weapons to use against them.

Boric acid powder works to kill the invaders.

You can keep a spray bottle of water and rubbing alcohol and fire a shot of this at bugs you find. Label the sprayer to prevent misuse, and store it away from children.

Vacuum up basement bugs for handy removal. Empty the bag or canister to be sure they and any viable eggs leave from your home.

Call Professional Pest Control

If you see something scurry, there’s no need to worry! We have decades of experience identifying and removing pests and infestations.

We use Integrated Pest Management, so if we can choose non-chemical control, we do. We come to your home to clear it of pests and keep it safe for you and your family.

Call the bug busters at Environmental Pest Management for a free consultation or more information today. We’re ready to relieve you! Say goodbye to “ughs” over basement bugs!

December 21, 2020December 15, 2025

Are Spiders Insects? Understanding the Difference

Are Spiders Insects? Understanding the Difference

Are spiders insects? No, they’re insect hunters!

Insects like mosquitoes carry diseases, and spiders kill our insect enemies.

If the enemy of our enemy is our friend, then spiders are our friends! Even so, we understand that these particular “friends” can be pests.

Protect your home from unwanted pests; reach out to Environmental Pest Management for a quote today.

What’s the Difference Between Spiders and Insects?

Three Wolf Spiders isolated on a white background — spider isolated

As one scientist put it: “Arachnids are as distant from insects, as birds are from fish.” That certainly emphasizes how different they are!

Are Spiders Insects? The Eyes Have It.

Spiders see with eight simple eyes, while insects look through two compound eyes. Either way, you’ll probably have an easier time telling them apart by counting legs instead of tiny eyes.

These Legs Were Made for Walking

Spiders walk with four pairs of legs, while insects have three.

Insects have six legs. Count eight legs, and you see a spider.

If we scaled the fastest spider to our size, it could move between 50 to 140 miles per hour.

In reality, that spider at its actual size is moving at only about one mile per hour. Any speed can feel too quick for comfort when it comes to spiders!

Contact us at Environmental Pest Management if you’d like support enforcing boundaries that keep them outside. They have important work to do out there, eating insects and feeding birds!

Only Insects Have Wings

Not all insects have wings at all times, but spiders never have wings at any time.

Are spiders insects? Fortunately not—can you imagine a flying spider?

Spiders cannot fly, but some jump. Some even sail through the air on parachutes they build with their own silk!

Spiders Make Silk

Are spiders insects because they make silk?

Not all spiders live in webs of their own making, but all spiders can make silk. Those who spin webs use them as traps to catch their prey, mostly insects.

Some insects can make silk, too, but they live only in tropical or subtropical climates. Here in Minnesota, only spiders are spinning webs.

The Body Of A Spider—Look At The Head And Thorax.

Spiders and insects also differ in their number of body parts. Spiders have only two body segments, while insects have three.

It takes a head, thorax, and abdomen to be an insect. Those first two segments are conjoined in spiders as one section called the cephalothorax (or prosoma).

On their abdomens, only spiders have silk spinnerets; insects don’t.

Are Those Chelicerae or Antennae?

Another distinction between spiders and insects are their extra appendages.

In front of their first pair of legs, spiders have chelicerae with fangs. The fangs inject venom into prey like insects, or unfortunately, sometimes into people.

Almost all spiders make venom, but only about 1% of spiders species are considered dangerous for people.

Some insects also make venom, but it is through stings, not fangs, when they injure people.

Only insects have antennae on their heads, while spiders never do.

Features in Common

Spiders and insects wouldn’t ever be confused for each other if they didn’t share some common features!

Both spiders and insects have segmented bodies and hard exoskeletons (instead of backbones like humans do). They sometimes shed or molt their exoskeletons to grow bigger.

Also, both have joints in their legs. Accordingly, the animal group they all belong to is called Arthropoda, which means “jointed foot.”

Spiders vs. Insects: an Epic Battle

Scientists recognize groups of animals from Kingdoms down to Phylums down to Classes. The Phylum Arthropoda includes the Class Arachnida and Class Insecta.

Spiders belong to Class Arachnida and insects to Class Insecta. (Other creepy-crawlies like centipedes and millipedes belong to other classes.)

For a million years, Class Arachnida and Class Insecta have been in an epic battle. Humankind does best if neither wins because they’re keeping each other in balance.

Most of us also don’t want their war within the walls of our homes!

If you’re wondering how to keep the fight outside, call Environmental Pest Management. Our professionals want to protect your home from being their battlefield.

Class Arachnida

Spiders belong to Class Arachnida. Other members of this class are scorpions, mites, and ticks, and they have the classic eight legs of Arachnida.

Scorpions don’t live in Minnesota, but we do have interesting little cousins here called pseudoscorpions.

Good news for us Minnesotans—pseudoscorpions don’t pose any threat to people. If you see a tiny creature that looks like a tick but has pincers, it is harmless.

Unfortunately, ticks can be dangerous because they often carry diseases that they can transmit to people.

Are ticks insects? Are spiders insects? No, they both have those classic eight legs.

Stop signs have eight sides, and arachnids have eight legs—like nature’s Stop! If we count to eight, it’s often safer to take heed.

Call us at Environmental Pest Management to address any concerns you have with spiders or other pests in your home.

Creating a Hostile Environment Against Spiders

Making the areas inside and outside your home unattractive to spiders can naturally encourage them to go elsewhere.

Spiders like dust and they hide in places like stacked boxes. Reducing these areas tells them that they aren’t welcome.

Outside, spiders see bushes, firewood, and other piles as luxury resort accommodations.

Keeping the perimeter directly around your home clear deters spiders from living nearby. Then they’re less likely to take that next eight-legged step into your home.

Check these natural remedies to help keep spiders at bay as well. Spiders detest some herbs and oils, like cinnamon and citrus.

The same scents that can make your home festive during the holidays can also deter spiders.

Call the Professionals at Environmental Pest Management

Are spiders insects? No, but you probably still don’t want them in your home.

We practice integrated pest management. We know spiders play important roles in our world, and we recognize their value—outside!

We work to keep them outside in an environmentally mindful way. We choose non-chemical means whenever we can.

Call us at Environmental Pest Management for a free quote. We’ll solve your pest problem by addressing the source of concern for safe and long-term results.

December 8, 2020December 15, 2025

Eek! There’s an Earwig

The earwig is an insect that gets its name from an old wife’s tale of crawling into people’s ears. However, these bugs are nothing to fear!

These insects are a common household pest, but they can cause damage if not handled properly.

Environmental Pest Management can help protect your home from unwanted pests, including the common earwig. Reach out for a free quote today.

Read on to learn about earwigs and how to prevent this common household and garden pest!

What Exactly is an Earwig?

An earwig is commonly referred to as the “pincer bug” or “pincher bug” because of the pincers on their abdomen’s back. Earwigs use the pincers for defense against other earwigs.

These are harmless insects with a negative reputation. Many people are frightened of them because of their pincers, but they do not harm humans.

Pincer bugs produce a pheromone (scent) that they use to attract others of their kind. Many scientists believe this is the reason earwigs live in clusters or large numbers.

They are an insect with multiple species. There are over 20 different earwig species in the United States.

They live on every continent of the world, except for Antarctica.

These insects are nocturnal. They prefer cool, damp areas and are outdoor insects.

They cannot fly, scurrying where they need to go on their six legs. By the end of their life cycle, they may be around ½ inch to 1 inch long.

These bugs are scavengers and look to protect their self-interests. They thrive on a healthy food supply and a safe, protective environment.

Earwigs love plant life, so they are known to wreak havoc in gardens.

Their common preferred foods include:

Apricots
Vegetables
Plants
Flowers
Dead leaves

They are also known to feed on mites, insect eggs, and other dead insects. You can find them under rocks, woodpiles, or in piles of leaves.

They prefer the outdoors but can make their way inside via trash bags or through foundation cracks in the home.

Whether in the garden or through seeking shelter in your home, pincher bugs can be a nuisance.

How Can You Prevent Pincer Bugs?

There are a few steps you can take to prevent earwigs from getting into your home:

Fill All House Cracks and Holes

Be sure to check the foundation around your home, especially near entrances and doors. Caulk any cracks and holes as pincher bugs use small crevices to make an entrance.

Protect Your Windows

Always use a screen on your windows for protection. Make sure to cover any holes in window screens to protect the entrance of bugs.

Remove Piles of Ruffage

Pincer bugs prefer environments that offer food and protection.

To control earwigs, remove their source of supply. Remove piles of leaves, stone, and old wood that create a safe environment for earwigs.

Move Vegetation Away From the Home

Keep mulch, dead leaves, or vegetation away from the home’s foundation. They are ideal food sources for these pests.

Keeping plant debris away from the house will decrease the likelihood of entering through your doors and windows.

Fix Leaky Drains and Pipes

Because these insects love cool, moist environments, look for any leaking pipes or drains in your home. Make sure you fix any leaks if you find drippage to ensure earwig control.

Clean Gutters

Always clean your gutters and drain pipes. If backed up, they will create wet spots near the home that may attract earwigs.

Trim Your Trees and Bushes

Keeping your trees and bushes trimmed can prevent excessive shade and damp areas. Regular trimming will help to keep earwigs away!

Sometimes you do everything right, but you end up with an earwig infestation. Here is what you can do if that happens to you.

How Do I Get Rid of Earwigs?

There are a few solutions if you end up with an earwig infestation. Though harmless, they are unattractive intruders whom you do not want to visit for long!

Use Dish Soap and Water

Mix dish soap and water to spray areas where earwigs may be entering the home. This earwig control method works well in the garden and outside the house but is not efficient for indoor use.

Boric Acid Powder

Boric acid is a naturally occurring compound that can be very effective at killing earwigs. It is non-toxic but can be irritating if it gets in your eyes or mouth.

Apply treatment to areas where insects may be entering or living to remove the critters effectively.

Rubbing Alcohol and Water

You can make a mix of rubbing alcohol and water to use when you see an earwig. Spray onsite to kill the insects immediately.

Vacuuming

Vacuum any earwigs you find in your home or garden.

After vacuuming, make sure to dispose of the vacuum bag or empty it into soapy water. You want to make sure to destroy any eggs you may have managed to catch.

Light Traps

Earwigs are attracted to bright light. To attract these little bugs, place a light source by a dish-soap-and-water trap or a boric acid trap.

Earwig Pesticide

Pesticides can cover areas where you have found the critters.

Effective pesticides include Sevin, malathion, pyrethrins, and diatomaceous earth. Several of these products can be used both indoors and outdoors.

For Real Results, You Need and Exterminator

Have you tried to remove a large infestation on your own, but they keep coming back? In this case, it is best to contact an exterminator.

Professionals can evaluate the infestation to determine the best course of action. Understand it may take some time or several treatments to fully rid of the problem.

With persistence and effort, exterminators are very successful at removing these pests for good from your home!

Environmental Pest Management Will Team With You Against Pests!

Whether you have earwigs, mice, bats, ants, or any other pest, Environmental Pest Management can free your home from chaos. We work with homeowners, business owners, and apartment complexes to keep them free of infestations.

Protect your home from unwanted intruders. Contact us today for more information or a free consultation.

November 24, 2020December 15, 2025

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.

November 11, 2020December 15, 2025

Why You Need to Get Rid of Mice in Your Air Vents

Have you heard the sound of little rodent feet in your ductwork at night? If you have mice in your air vents, don’t wait another night to tackle the problem.

Maybe there have been telltale mouse droppings in the corners of the kitchen. You may have even witnessed the tiny creature running across the room and into a sneaky hiding place.

You are aware there is a mouse in the house. When there is one, there are more, making a home often in your HVAC system.

Homeowners often find mice in air vents because it is a dark space where they can hide and keep warm. A mouse in your ductwork has access to your whole house.

If you have a mouse infestation, it is time to call in the experts. Environmental Pest Management offers residential, commercial, and multi-family pest control management.

Our goal is to solve your problem safely, for the long-term, and at a reasonable price. Contact us today for a free estimate.

Please continue reading for our reasons why you need to get rid of mice in your air vents.

The Dangers of a Mouse Infestation in Your Air Vents

The two reasons mice are a danger are disease and damage.

Disease

Mice are in the mammal family of rodents. There are over 2,200 different types of rodents found in the family.

Altogether, these rodents make up 40% of all mammals. Besides mice, other animals in the family include squirrels, rats, chipmunks, and prairie dogs.

Unfortunately, rodents carry 35 different diseases for which humans are susceptible. Fleas or ticks can transmit diseases to humans and other mammals, including pets.

Mice droppings (both urine and feces) can be quite toxic to humans and full of harmful bacteria.

If you have a mouse infestation, you must be careful about how you eliminate the infestation. Pest control companies are recommended because the dust in mouse nests in air vents can be hazardous to breathe.

Not only can mice make you sick, but they can cause damage to your home.

Damage

Mice are notorious for causing physical damage to homes and businesses. Mice easily chew through the siding and building materials to get into your home.

Mice can even chew through electrical lines, which can ignite a fire in your home.

Additionally, mice can chew holes in furniture, wood, or cabinets. Mice can be anywhere there is food, and you may identify their presence when you find holes in food containers.

Mice need to “gnaw” to keep their teeth in a serviceable condition. You can imagine the damage several mice can create in a heating system.

If mice have found a home in your ducts, it is essential to call a professional to have them removed.

How to Get Rid of Mice in Your Air Vents

Professional pest management companies identify where mice nest in air vents. The professionals will also find favorite feeding grounds.

By eliminating food sources and exterminating nests, the mice will not be able to maintain life in the home. Pest control experts will eliminate the mice and properly clean the infestation area.

Proper clean up is important to reduce the risk of allergies, illness, and future mice in your air vents.

Once successfully eliminated, you’ll likely want to assess your air ducts’ damage and clean the air ducts.

Finally, you may want to install stainless steel mesh vent covers to keep mice out in the future. Pest control professionals can make recommendations on the best hardware to use to keep mice away, moving forward.

How Air Infiltration Can Affect the Spread of COVID

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a clean and well-maintained HVAC system can reduce the spread of COVID-19. The rate of air change is increased, reducing the recirculation of air, and increasing the introduction of outdoor air.

Have HVAC systems regularly inspected, maintained, and cleaned. Keeping the vents clean and functioning can help reduce the spread of other viruses in the home or office space.

Obviously, with a mouse infestation, the heating and cooling system is unable to work as intended. Rather than providing the environment with clean, circulated air it becomes clogged and can spread allergens and disease from rodents.

Once a pest control company successfully eliminates the mice from your ducts, you will want to have them inspected regularly. Even with the installation of barriers, mice can be drawn back to places they’ve previously been.

Steps You Can Take To Keep Mice Away

There are a few suggestions you can do to keep mice out of your home:

Clean your home or workspace
Keep food in thick or metal containers with tight lids
Clean up spills immediately
Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink
Use a thick plastic or metal garbage can
Keep compost bins far from the home
Never leave pet food out overnight

Take these steps after a reputable pest control company has removed the mice. You will find greater success with keeping the intruders away for good.

Call in The Best To Eliminate Mice in Your Air Vents

You want to ensure the mice are removed safely and will not return. Environmental Pest Management will eliminate the rodents and help you identify the source, so they don’t return in the future.

At Environmental Pest Management, we address the what, why, how, and when to find a solution for your pest concerns.

We use what is called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM is a practical and environmentally sensitive approach that relies on common-sense practices.

IPM programs use current and comprehensive information on pests’ life cycles, including how they interact with their environment.

Through the use of IPM, we can manage the intruders ethically and economically.

Contact us today to book your free pest inspection. We will work to eliminate the mice so you can breathe in healthy air!