As the temperatures begin to drop and the leaves start to change, many homeowners in Alabama may notice an increase in pest activity around their properties. Fall is a critical time for pest control, as various insects and rodents seek warmth and shelter from the impending winter. Understanding the most common fall pests in Alabama, how to identify them, and effective prevention strategies can help protect your home and ensure a pest-free season is what we at Remedy Pest Control would like to address today.

Ants

Identification: One of the most prevalent fall pests in Alabama is the ant. Common species include carpenter ants, fire ants, and pavement ants. Carpenter ants are typically large and black or reddish in color, while fire ants have a distinctive reddish-brown hue.
Prevention: To prevent ants from invading your home, keep food stored in airtight containers, clean up crumbs and spills promptly, and seal any cracks or openings in your foundation and walls. If you notice an ant trail, follow it to find the nest and consider using bait traps or consulting a pest control professional for more extensive infestations.

Spiders

Identification: As temperatures fall, many spiders, such as the common house spider and brown recluse, seek shelter indoors. House spiders are usually brown or gray with a rounded body and can be identified by their web patterns. Brown recluse spiders are more dangerous, featuring a violin-shaped marking on their backs.
Prevention: To keep spiders at bay, regularly vacuum corners, closets, and under furniture to remove webs and egg sacs. Reduce clutter where spiders can hide, and consider sealing windows and doors with screens. If you suspect a brown recluse infestation, contact a pest control expert immediately.

Rodents

Identification: Mice and rats are notorious for invading homes as the weather cools. House mice are small, with gray or brown fur and large ears, while Norway rats are larger, with brown fur and a stocky build. Both can cause significant damage and spread diseases.
Prevention: To prevent rodent infestations, seal all entry points, including gaps around doors, windows, and utility lines. Keep food stored securely and maintain a clean kitchen. Setting traps and placing bait stations can help control existing populations, but professional pest control services may be necessary for larger infestations.

Cockroaches

Identification: Cockroaches, including the American and German species, thrive in warm, humid environments and may move indoors as temperatures drop. American cockroaches are large and reddish-brown, while German cockroaches are smaller and light brown with two distinctive stripes on their backs.
Prevention: To deter cockroaches, eliminate sources of moisture, such as leaky pipes, and keep food stored tightly. Regularly clean kitchens and dining areas to remove crumbs and spills. If you notice cockroaches, setting out bait traps or calling in a pest control service can effectively address the problem.

Stink Bugs

Identification: Stink bugs are often seen in the fall as they search for warmth. They are typically green or brown, with a shield-shaped body and produce a distinctive odor when disturbed.
Prevention: To keep stink bugs outside, seal cracks around windows and doors and install screens. If they do enter your home, avoid crushing them to prevent the smell; instead, capture them with a vacuum and release them outdoors.

Pest Inspections, Control & More in Bessemer & Greater Birmingham, AL | Serving Jefferson, St. Clair & Shelby Counties, Alabama

Recognizing and preventing common fall and winter pests in Alabama is crucial for maintaining a comfortable and pest-free home. By understanding how to identify these pests and implementing effective prevention strategies, homeowners can minimize their risk of infestations as the weather cools. Regular pest inspections and professional treatments can further ensure your home remains a safe haven during the fall season. To help you control the pests in your home or business, call Remedy Pest Control.

Do you have rats or mice attempting to co-exist with you in your home? It’s a bone chilling thought; and often a common misconception that homes that are well maintained and properly cared for are immune from infestations of mice or rats. The truth is that any residential property or commercial business can become home to these unwanted intruders at any time. While you may not always see them, they do leave behind some tell-tale signs of their occupancy; some of these signs are immediately obvious while others are much more subtle. The experts at Remedy Pest Control have provided the following information to help you determine if you have a rodent problem within your home or business.

How Can You Tell if a House has Mice or Rats?

• Droppings: Rat droppings are generally black shiny and blunt looking at both ends, size varies from ½ to ¾ of an inch in length. Mice droppings on the other hand are smooth, with pointy ends and generally ¼ of inch in length or shorter.
• Check areas along baseboards and food sources for the tell-tale signs of track and tail trails: If you see smear marks along your baseboards, these are most often caused by grease and dirt on the rodent’s fur.
• Check to see if the wood has been gnawed along building materials: Tooth marks that are approximately 1/8 of an inch long typically indicate rats; small marks that look like scratches generally indicate mice.
• Have you noticed a heavy odor that smells musky in certain areas of your home? Both mice and rats have a strong and unpleasant odor

Are Rats Harder to Get Rid of than Mice?

The knowledgeable experts at Remedy Pest Control understand that for most people it really doesn’t matter if its mice or rats that are making nests in the basement or attic of their homes. After all they are unwanted guests that they just want to see gone for good. To a layperson, rats pretty much look the same as mice but both rats and mice can be completely different creatures in terms of behavior for example, did you know that rats and mice will rarely occupy the same living space at the same time? Other interesting facts about rats and mice include:
• Both mice and rats will forage for food but mice prefer plants and cereal grains while rats prefer almost any grains and will even eat meat.
• On average, a mouse can give birth to up to 60 young per year. Those young can begin to reproduce within as little as six weeks of age. Rats on the other hand can give birth to up to 70 babies per year who will begin to reproduce at 12 weeks of age. Rodents multiply quickly so it’s extremely important to contact Remedy Pest Control as soon as you suspect that you have a rodent problem.
• Mice can live up to one year; rats can live for as long as one and a half years.
• Rats are excellent swimmers unlike mice who avoid large bodies of water.
• A mouse can slip through a hole as tiny as the width of a small fingernail. Rats can squeeze through a space the size of a quarter.
• Mice are colorblind and rely on their sense of smell, hearing and taste to compensate for what they may not see.
• Mice are typically easier to trap than rats as they are more apt to explore new places. Rats are more cautious, taking longer to trap. Their differences will also determine how Remedy Pest Control gets rid of them from your home.

Mouse & Rat Rodent Inspections, Control & More in Bessemer & Greater Birmingham, AL | Serving Jefferson, St. Clair & Shelby Counties, Alabama

The thought of mice or rats within your home is disturbing enough but even worse is the fact that both rodents have the capacity to spread illness and disease. If you suspect that you have a rodent problem within your home contact the professionals at Remedy Pest Control to arrange for a comprehensive rodent removal and treatment plan.

In most cases, raccoons don’t pose much of a problem during the winter. In fact, raccoons are rarely seen during the cold weather season. However, even though it may be rare to see them, it is not unheard of to have raccoons rummaging around your home even during the coldest parts of winter. Some ask why they still have raccoons in the yard, or even worse, causing serious damage to their home in the hope they can move in. Remedy Pest Control will share why raccoons might still pose a nuisance even in the winter time.

Raccoon in My Attic this Winter?

Raccoons are the most active during the spring, summer and fall seasons but do try to overwinter in homes during winter. Quite often they are seen rummaging around homes and other urban areas looking for food and shelter. Raccoons tirelessly look for food in order to store enough fat to survive winter. As winter approaches, they will enter into a long sleep called Carnivorean Lethargy. This isn’t a true hibernation but more of a deep sleep in which they do awaken a few times during the winter. When raccoons awaken, they will first look for food, and if needed, a safer, warmer place to spend the rest of the winter season. Because raccoons don’t go into full hibernation, they actually can prove to be a year-round nuisance. During the winter the raccoons waken at random times. Some of them find that during the cold of winter, their original home sometimes gets too cold or damaged. If so, they will look for a warmer and better shelter. Often the roof or our homes get damaged from raccoons chewing on or scratching holes in them to get inside attic spaces. Other property damage can also occur if the raccoon’s need food or shelter is great. This is why you will want to be prepared with some form of raccoon control all year.

How to Keep Raccoons Away from Your House, Deck & Garden

Where you never know when a raccoon will awaken or invade your home or property, you will want to develop or maintain good habits, such as keeping trash cans sealed. Raccoons are strong enough to push or crawl inside trash cans when looking for food. This doesn’t just cause a mess but will ensure future visits from other raccoons. Keep your trash out of the raccoon’s reach and avoid taking the trash out the night before. Instead, take the trash out the morning of pick up. Also avoid leaving pet food bowls outside. You may be trying to keep your pets fed and watered, but you’re also feeding raccoons at the same time if you leave the bowls out at all times. You can also install motion sensor lights to help scare raccoons off and also alert you to their intrusion. Some will use live capture traps if raccoons continue to pose a problem. You can contact a pest control company to assist in wildlife control. They will help capture and remove the captured raccoon. When raccoons become a problem in winter, it is because they are hungry and looking for food or a better place to hide out the rest of winter. Raccoons are often found in sheds, garages, or attics during the winter season.

Wildlife Inspections, Control & More in Bessemer & Greater Birmingham, AL | Serving Jefferson, St. Clair & Shelby Counties, Alabama

If you have a raccoon problem this winter, contact Remedy Pest Control. We provide wildlife control services and can help prevent your home from becoming a raccoon’s winter shelter. Contact Remedy Pest Control for all of your pest control needs.

As people talk about any topic regularly sometimes the “facts” seem to get a little mixed up.  Before you know it these “facts” spread from rapidly from one person to the next and simply believed without any research being done.  This is how incorrect information is spread on a regular basis.  There are some pests that seem to get talked about more than others.  The more that these pests are talked about, the more that “facts” are spread that are simply not true.  Today Remedy Pest Control is here to bust some of the most common myths that people believe about scorpions.

Are Scorpions Aggressive?

One of the most commonly shared myths about scorpions is that they are aggressive insects.  Due to their belief in the truth of this statement, when people see scorpions they panic try to get away from them as soon as possible.  The good news is that this is actually not true!  Scorpions are actually more afraid of you than you are of them.  They actually only sting humans if they feel threatened.  Many times getting stepped on is what makes scorpions sting humans nearby. 

Are Scorpions Deadly?

Our second myth is one more reason that people try to get away from scorpions as fast as possible when they see them.  It is widely believed that scorpion stings are deadly.  You will be relieved to discover that scorpion stings are not deadly to humans.  When scorpions sting they do release a venom into their prey.  The sting may hurt but under normal circumstances it is not deadly.  If you are allergic to their venom and do not receive care promptly it could lead to death but this is not a frequent occurrence.  Statistics show that less than 5% of scorpion stings require medical attention.

Is a Baby Scorpion Sting More Venomous?

The third myth that we are going to debunk is interesting because there are actually two opposing myths that are spread on this topic.  Some people believe that venom from baby scorpions is more harmful than venom from any other type of scorpion.  Others believe that the larger the scorpion is the more harmful their venom is.  Neither of these statements are true.  The truth is that the venom from smaller species of scorpions are more harmful than other types of scorpion venom. 

Where are Scorpion Infestations Found?

Last on our list today is the false belief that scorpions are only found in new neighborhoods or areas surrounded by desert.  It is true that scorpions may be found more frequently in these areas, that is not the only place they are found.  Scorpion infestations are actually also commonly found in older neighborhoods.  Scorpions that have made a nest in older homes are quite established and have a large number of scorpions living in the nest.  When scorpions are found in newer homes there are not as many scorpions found. 

Scorpion Inspections, Control & More in Bessemer & Greater Birmingham, AL | Serving Jefferson, St. Clair & Shelby Counties, Alabama

Hopefully you have learned something new about scorpions today.  Here at Remedy Pest Control our goal is to help educate our customers about all sorts of different insects and rodents.  If you have scorpions on your property give us a call today and we will help you get rid of them.

If you are wondering whether mice and rats are dangerous, our answer at Remedy Pest Control is a resounding YES! Rodents like mice and rats are definitely not the kind of guests that you want staying with you for the winter. Rodents are known for spreading serious diseases like Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Leptospirosis and Salmonellosis to name just a few. They can also spread harmful fleas and ticks to your family and pets, in addition to causing significant structural damage to your home or business. Mice and rodents have actually been the cause for many home and office electrical fires as they love to chew through wiring and completely destroy your insulation. If you even suspect you might have mice and rats in your home, you should call Remedy Pest Control right away! If you are not sure whether or not these pests have taken up residence in your home or business, here are some helpful tips to help you recognize a rodent problem:
• Mouse and rat droppings. This is a definitive sign that rodents are in your premises. Droppings look like dark brown or black grains or rice. You will generally find them in drawers, cupboards and under the sink. You can also often find them in food sources that the rodents have been eating.
• Smear marks along walls or baseboards. These smear marks occur when rodents use the same path over and over again and their fur rubs against the wall, leaving behind dirty, oily marks.
• Gnaw marks. These can be found on furniture, cardboard boxes, walls and even clothing. Rodent teeth never stop growing. Rodents therefore need to continuously gnaw their teeth on surfaces to keep their front incisors manageable.
• Sounds in your walls or in the attic during the nighttime. Scratching, squeaking and scampering noises all are telltale signs that you have some kind of pest infestation on your hands.

At the first sign of a rodent infestation, you must take action. Contacting a rodent control company like Remedy Pest Control is essential to eliminate these pests. Do-it-yourself techniques for rodent control can often be frustrating and ineffective. Remedy Pest Control starts with a consultation with the home or business owner and a thorough inspection. Our experienced technicians use their keen eye to help spot entry points and possible nesting sites, and then use a combination of traps and baits to be successful.Contact Remedy Pest Control today for more information.