Apple Pest Control Blog

Fleas are never something you want to see in your home, especially if you are a pet owner. While fleas aren’t too difficult to get rid of, it is still important to be knowledgeable about them to treat the infection correctly since they won’t go away on their own. 

What Are Fleas?

Fleas are small dark parasites that cling to skin and fur in pets. Their presence will cause itchy skin and will leave behind small specs or ‘flea dirt. They can also jump long distances which allows them to spread quickly. 

Will Fleas Go Away on Their Own?

You might be asking yourself will fleas eventually go away? While some could last 2 – 3 weeks, they could also live for up to 12 months on the host it finds, so it is unlikely they will go away on their own. Fleas can also reproduce very quickly by laying eggs in carpet, bedding, or garden prolonging the infestation. There is a greater chance of infection during the warmer months, especially in Texas because this is their prime breeding time. 

Due to all of these things, it is important to treat them as soon as you notice them. 

Take Preventive Measures

Before we get too far into the summer months it would be beneficial to your home if you get preventative prest control done by a professional. Pest control specialists can perform an inspection to identify potential problem elements and spray treatment in your yard and home to steer away fleas and prevent laying their eggs. 

For your pets specifically, there is a year-round medication they can be on that works to prevent fleas. 

I found a flea! How do I treat it?

Luckily there are many easy treatments for your pets if they get fleas such as medicated baths, brushing, and medications that can be prescribed. To help get rid of them from your home you should wash bedding, small carpets, and other fabric where they could be laying their eggs. For bigger carpet areas vacuuming is important to do. You can also buy a specific flea spray that will help get rid of them. 

However, the most efficient way to ensure they will be gone from your home is to have a pest control specialist come to your house and perform a treatment. 

San Antonio Flea Treatment

If you are in San Antonio, Helotes, Boerne, New Braunfels, or other surrounding areas and need professional help with flea treatment, Apple Pest Control is at your service. Contact us today for more information on flea treatments along with other service areas

With San Antonio and the surrounding areas being so warm most of the year, insects are usually a common presence in our lives. Our first instinct is to spray bug killers, but many of the most popular bug sprays are actually full of harmful chemicals. So what do you do to get rid of your bug problem? Do you have to search for all-natural bug sprays?

Apple Pest Control wants to help you find solutions to all of your bug problems. If you’re educated and aware of the best techniques to defend your home, you’ll be prepared to help both your home and the environment.

Why Use Natural Bug Repellent?

Bug sprays that use insecticides and pesticides are designed to kill living organisms. While they work to kill the insects that are bothering you, they also spread into the environment and kill other bugs who are constructive to the outdoor system. Those bugs can then be eaten by other animals who are then exposed to the chemicals and could be affected, as well.

These chemicals are even dangerous for children and pets to be around! If you use a chemical bug spray, it is important to keep your family and animals safe from exposure. It has been proven that some carcinogenic qualities can be found in these sprays. You wouldn’t want to track the chemicals into your home and not know where they sit for years.

Natural bug repellent is meant to do just that – repel. Without the chemicals used to kill bugs and insects, firmly repelling bugs from entering the home or settling in the yard is effective.

Effective DIY Bug Repellent

If you do decide to go natural when using bug repellent, buying expensive, natural bug sprays is not your only option. Homemade repellents actually work really well when introduced into the ecosystem. Plus, they don’t disrupt the existing flora and fauna. Below are a few of the peskiest bugs and the natural recipes to repel them.

Spiders

Spiders really dislike peppermint and lemon, so having these essential oils on hand is a good idea if you’re seeing a large spider presence. Add peppermint and lemon oil drops to a spray bottle, and treat all entryways and cracks. In fact, spiders’ taste buds are located on their feet, so the oils are sure to dissuade some of those spider friends from staying in your home.

Cockroaches

Clove oil is a great weapon against cockroaches. A few drops in a spray bottle could deter them from collecting. Also, an entire clove and Epsom salt placed under the sink or in cabinets could be a larger fix.

Wasps

Wasps can be very dangerous once they’ve already built a nest. You may need to seek professional help to get rid of the nest. However, there are several things that could deter wasps from settling on your home or in your yard altogether. Planting citronella, mint and eucalyptus in your garden is a great start to deterring wasps. Using each plant’s essential oils under the eaves and on your property is even better.

Ants

The smell of coffee grounds blocks ants’ sense of smell. You can scatter coffee ground around your property to try to keep them away.

Vinegar

A large majority of bugs dislike the scent and taste of vinegar. If you need a general bug deterrent or a stronger option, placing vinegar along the entryways is a great way to repel all kinds of insects without actually hurting them.

Need For Professional Help?

If your bug problem becomes too much for you to handle, allow Apple Pest Control to figure out a solution for you. We’ll make sure those pests don’t bother you anymore. Give us a call today!

If you live in Texas, you know the weather changes all the time. The cold days don’t stick around as long as the warm days, but we still have a winter – usually. Pesky bugs that crawl and fly around you in the warm months almost seem to completely disappear in the winter months. While you might not see as many bugs during winter,  that doesn’t exactly mean they’re not there. They’ve just found a place to hide until it warms up. Ever found yourself wondering, “Do I still need to spray for bugs in the winter?” The answer is yes.

Winter temperatures affect the bug’s food resources, causing them to use the energy stored in their bodies. Since the resources are limited, bugs have to slow down to conserve that energy.

Since they’re not in their peak season, winter is the prime time for you to do what you can to prevent bugs from coming back. You can do some year-round practices to limit the number of bugs that try to make their way back into your home.

A few ways to prepare ahead of time:

1. Keeping your house clean
2. Avoiding large amounts of trash
3. Trying your best to close food containers and packaging

Bugs search for dark and warm places to spend their time during the cold season of the year. These places typically include basements, closets and pantries. A pantry is a perfect spot for a bug to rest during the winter – not only because it’s dark and warm but there is easy access to food. That’s why it is so important to make sure your food is properly packaged and sealed.

The wintertime is also the best time to spray for bugs. The spray that pest control companies use can be broken down by high temperatures, rain and sunlight. Those three things are less of a factor during the winter months. When the winter pests are kept outdoors, your home becomes a healthier place to cozy up in without the worry of anything disturbing the peace. You can also safely host holiday celebrations and family gatherings without the worry of something crawling out of the walls.

The winter months in Texas may not have the coldest temperatures, but the pests are still looking for a nice and warm place to escape. Take action and make the necessary precautions to make your home bug-free this winter. Contact Apple Pest Control today for an appointment.

There are many pests that naturally try to seek warmth during the winter. Most of the time, the warm places that they find are inside of your home. This winter, you should be prepared and learn about the pests that could be living in your home. Termite control or even wildlife removal may be needed for the upcoming season.

Termites

San Antonio has extremely high termite activity. These pests will get into your home and begin to destroy everything they come in contact with. Termites remain active during the winter, especially in a warm home. If termites find a way into your house, the entire colony will thrive in the warmth. You can stay on the lookout for termites in your home by looking for mud tubes, wings and wood damage. Termite control will be needed for an infestation before too much damage is done.

Crickets

If you live in San Antonio, you probably know all about the many crickets that live here. Swarms of crickets seek warmth in your home during the wintertime. You may see crickets crawling on your trees, walls, and around your home this winter. Crickets make loud noises and can be a very annoying pest to prevent this winter.

Spiders

This winter, you may not be thinking about these creepy crawlers hiding in the warmth of your home. Spiders love living indoors. If they are surviving in your home, they will continue to stay there. They remain very active during the winter season and can begin to have babies in the cracks of your home.

Rats

Rats and mice can be very dangerous when living in your home. These rodents are looking for holes to get into your house and find warmth. Rats can bring disease into your home this winter that can harm your family’s health. Rats are known for having babies and bringing their whole family into your house. If you have a rat infestation this winter, contact a professional company for wildlife removal San Antonio homeowners can trust, such as Apple Pest Control.

Winter in San Antonio may not entail super cold temperatures, but these pests will definitely still be searching for a warm area to escape to. Trust Apple Pest Control, your local San Antonio Pest Control, to get the pests out of your home for good. Contact us today for an appointment.

Like us, bugs need food, water and shelter. However, unlike us, bugs assume they can get all those things for free by hiding in the dark spaces of your home. We’ve all come across one or two unwelcome guests, but how can we tell when those crawling freeloaders have officially moved in? Here are a couple of ways you can identify a pest infestation in your home.

Read more