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Bed Bug Myths

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 02:08:23 GMT

The Things We Believe About Bed Bugs That Aren't True

As a hard-to-spot, blood-sucking beast that takes expert intervention to get rid of, bed bugs instantly earn a spot as one of the more frightening pests one may encounter. They don't need much embellishment to make them scary, but people's imaginations run rampant when there's a fearsome creature to picture. So, what's true and what's a myth?

Life Span Of Bed Bugs

Scientists say they can live for a full year or more without food. However, other scientists say that statement should come with a major caveat and explanation. In regular conditions such as a normal room temperature, the bugs can typically live for 2-3 months without blood. However, if they're in colder climates, the cold-blooded insects can slow their metabolism, allowing them to live for about a year without food.

How Bed Bugs Spread

It's common knowledge that bed bugs are often picked up while people travel. However, it's a myth that traveling out of town is the only way you can come in contact with them. Bugs may have hitched a ride after you got into a cab, an Uber, or public transportation. They may have come with some furniture or electronics you picked up. They can even hang out in the upholstery at restaurants and movie theaters, and they may even crawl over from a nearby room if you live in an apartment.

How Bed Bugs Get Around

There's another myth that they can fly from place to place. That is not possible considering that they don't have wings. Another fallacy is that they can hop far distances. They can crawl quite quickly, but there is no hopping, skipping, or jumping.

How To Spot Bed Bugs

Some think bed bugs are impossible to see with the naked eye. That is simply untrue. The bugs are quite small, and their reddish-brown bodies make them blend in well with their surroundings. They are also very good at hiding, flattening their bodies to squeeze into small holes or gaps in upholstery and wood. However, you can still see the apple seed-sized creature with your naked eye, just like any other bug.

The Dirty House

That leads us to our next point: having a bed bug infestation does not mean your house is dirty. You can have a spotless house and still get an infestation due to the way they are transported. A cluttered area however does provide the pest with additional hiding places.

The Three-Bite Myth

There is the belief that they always bite in three-pronged triangular patterns or lines with three dots. The triple-grouping isn't a real thing. Experts say it's more likely that multiple bed bugs are going after the same site. The pests go after fleshy skin and will usually bite whatever is most easily accessible when they go in for their attack. Another myth is that they only bite at night. Although they are more active at night, they can bite anytime. However, the evenings are when people tend to be the most vulnerable. As people sleep, the bloodsuckers go after what's exposed: the neck, arms, and legs.

For some people, those bites may be barely noticeable. Others may look and also feel like bites from mosquitoes or fleas. Other people find themselves with large, itchy, uncomfortable welts. Assuming you have bed bugs based on the bites alone is not a safe assumption.

The Myth of When Bed Bugs Evolved

For years, entomologists believed bed bugs first fed on bats but changed their diet after a close relative, the bat bug, began feeding on humans. Now, scientists know that wasn't the case, and in fact, they are nearly twice as old as they'd thought. New research shows they likely evolved to become what they are today about 100 million years ago.

Bed bugs are referenced in writings made by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, but scientists have found "modern" evidence that the bugs were in the Pacific Northwest even before that. Archeologists found a fossil of one in Oregon that researchers believe is 5,100 to 11,000 years old.

The Myth Of DIY Pest Control

There are plenty of websites trying to convince people they can handle an infestation on their own. A do-it-yourself method can lead to a major infestation even if only one or two bugs are seen. They are extremely adept at hiding and need a trained eye to find and eradicate them.

You've likely heard that they can be killed with major temperature swings and that's certainly true, but it isn't something most people can carry out on their own. Bed bugs die in about 90 minutes if exposed to 113°F heat, and four days at 0°F. Most property owners don't have the equipment to reach those extreme temperatures in their homes or businesses and would likely damage their property even if they did.

One of the methods online websites recommend urge people to seal potentially infested items in plastic bags and leave them for a year or longer to ensure the bed bugs are killed. Although that may be an effective spot treatment, it's wildly impractical and isn't going to address the bugs hiding in places that can't be sealed.

For reliable pest control you can believe in, call Bug Off Pest Pros. We've been keeping bed bugs out of the Muncie , Indiana, area for over a decade, and we are the top-rated pest control service, and that's no myth.

Using Bugs As Weapons

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 01:10:09 GMT

How Insects Have Been Used In Battle

Researchers believe people have been enlisting insects into their armies for millennia. Horrible tales of bug attacks even appear in the Bible, from mentions of hornets in Joshua to locusts in Exodus. Insects are used in different ways and with different purposes, but military strategists have one thing in mind: use the six-legged friends to gain the upper hand.

Intentional Agricultural Destruction Using Insects

Researchers say the American Civil War was the first time insects were used as biological weapons in modern history. The Confederacy accused Union soldiers of bringing a beetle known as the harlequin bug into the South to wipe out crops. That member of the stink bug family often goes after cabbage and similar plants and is known to destroy entire crops by sucking out the plants’ sap until they wilt and die.

During World War II, England accused the Germans of dropping down cardboard boxes filled with the Colorado potato beetle, a major pest that goes after not just potatoes but also eggplant, tomatoes, and more.

In 1989, a group that called itself The Breeders claimed they had released the Mediterranean fruit fly into Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The Medfly is considered one of the most destructive pests globally, targeting hundreds of different kinds of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. The group threatened to spread the fly to the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most important agricultural regions in the world until the government stopped using insecticides. The government was able to respond and stop the pest, which experts believe could easily have done over $13 billion in damage if crews hadn’t been able to spray the infestation into oblivion. That year, Congress passed the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989.

Using Insects To Spread Disease

German and Japanese scientists also studied how to use insects to deliver diseases in World War II. A Japanese biologist created a facility to breed fleas to help spread plague among rats . The Axis attempted to drop those plague-infested insects over the Saipan airfield in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. Commonwealth. The mission failed in that case and also in a separate attempt to use kamikaze pilots to drop the fleas over San Diego. It worked elsewhere, however. Although that history is more modern, the idea isn’t new. In the 1300s, the Mongols launched flea-ridden corpses into Europe, which spread the bubonic plague throughout the Mediterranean and wiped out 75 million people.

Despite Japan firmly denying it used insects to carry out biological warfare in the 20th century, a district court in Tokyo ruled the country did in China during World War II. The Imperial Army is also accused of using fleas to infect Chinese countryside crops with Cholera. That sort of warfare was outlawed as part of the Geneva Convention in 1925, but Japan’s interest in using insects as weapons continued long after.

Pain And Distraction Inflicted With By Insects

In some cases, insects have been used not just for destruction but also as a distraction. In the year 198 AD, Mesopotamian monarchs fended off the Romans from taking over an area of modern-day Iraq by throwing jars of scorpions at soldiers. The Roman emperor’s troops found themselves covered with painful stings that even induced allergic reactions for some. After 20 days, King Barsamia held out, and the Romans retreated.

The ancient Romans caught on, eventually using bees to attack ships. They’d launch beehives from catapults onto enemy ships. Since the men had nowhere to run, they’d clear out from the decks, making the ships easier to board.

In 1289, an Austrian Duke faced a similar problem: rival houses dumped beehives upon the army. The closer they got to the walls of the fortress, the more they’d be stung. Because the bees got under the men’s armor, it caused a massive commotion.

Booby traps with bugs have also been a common form of torment throughout history. The so-called “Bug Pit” in what’s now Uzbekistan was said to have been filled with assassin bugs, a carnivorous insect. Scorpions and rodents were also tossed into the pit for good measure. In the 19th century, English soldiers were thrown into the pit and eaten alive by the bugs. The Pit still exists today in the Zindon Prison.

Today, even if bugs are not being used specifically as weapons, they can still do major damage. They can harm crops or gardens, chew up furniture and floorboards, give painful stings and itchy bites, and in some cases cause uncomfortable allergic reactions. If you have a pest infestation, go with the best in the business to fix it and let Bug Off Pest Pros handle things for you.

Does DIY Pest Control Work?

Sat, 05 Mar 2022 21:09:26 GMT

Why Do It Yourself Is Not Effective Pest Control

Common DIY Pest Control Methods And Why To Avoid Them

When a property owner first notices they have a bug problem, they may think that running to the store to buy products and trying to wipe the pests out themselves is the quickest and easiest way to get rid of the infestation. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. DIY solutions are less effective, drawing the infestation out even longer and often cause more damage in the long run. They can be dangerous, exposing yourself and the environment to chemicals that can be harmful. Plus, they’re often a waste of money since property owners most often ultimately reach out to a pest control professional anyway.

Pests can sneak in through incredibly small spaces. Many people examine their homes themselves and seal over the holes they find that they suspect insects have been creeping through. The problem is bugs can fit through such tiny spaces that the untrained eye may not catch all of them. Because of that, the DIY pest controller thinks they’ve fixed the problem when they haven’t.

There are other DIY solutions that, while effective when done by a professional, can cause damage in the hands of an untrained person. One such example is attempting to control an infestation using temperature or humidity changes. Some people use steamers to reach the 120-degree-mark needed to kill bed bugs. In these instances, the entire infestation is not usually treated, and that level of heat can cause damage to your home or business if not done correctly.

Pest Control Product Choice

One of the problems people face in trying to get rid of infestation themselves is that they choose the wrong product to target the particular pest they’re after. There are different classifications of pesticides . Some are listed as general use or unclassified; others are restricted-use pesticides (RUPs). RUPs are available only to certified applicators who’ve undergone training in how to apply the product. In those cases, although the EPA labels the chemical perfectly okay to use in certain specific situations, they can cause harm to both the applicator and the environment if they’re handled incorrectly. In contrast, they can protect your property from damage when used properly since they get rid of the pest you aimed to eradicate. Very popular products like bug bombs have proven to ineffective. They fail to penetrate the deep places bugs hide while leaving a toxic residue behind.

People often try out traps to get rid of bugs but lay them out incorrectly, in a poor place, or choose the wrong trap for the problem they’re dealing with. Because of that, the DIY trap solution may get rid of a few individual bugs but won’t stand up to larger problems and won’t work keep the bugs from coming back in the future.

When DIY Pest Control Goes Very Wrong

Some extreme cautionary tales might not be the norm but certainly exemplify the possible risk. One of those situations happened in Cincinnati , where a woman tried to wipe out a bed bu g infestation using alcohol. She sprayed it out toward an open flame, sending embers swirling around the apartment, which then spread to other nearby units. In the end, three people went to the hospital for smoke inhalation, and ten people were left without a home. In a study on the overuse and misuse of insecticides, the CDC looked over seven states for seven years and found a total of 111 instances of acute illness associated with DIY pest control.

What Professional Exterminators Bring To The Table

An infestation is nothing to take lightly. Some pests spread bacteria and disease, and many cause allergic reactions. That can happen even without coming into direct contact with the pest. Our experts know which products to use and how to use them. Moreover, they know where to look for damage and investigate possible factors that could attract bugs. We can walk you through what changes need to be made to ensure the insects don’t show back up. Sometimes, changes as small as trimming trees and bushes to allow better airflow and adjusting the amount of fertilizer you use can help keep plants healthy, making them more resistant to certain pests, thereby keeping those pests out of your home.

The longer you take to get rid of an infestation, the more damage the pests can do. Don’t take a risk; call Bug Off Pest Pros to get bugs off your mind. Contact us today for an estimate and we can put together a custom plan for you.

Can Bugs Cause Health Issues?

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 18:47:40 GMT

Can Pests Make You Sick?

There's a common misconception that states like Indiana, with cold winters, won't have as many bugs. Unfortunately, despite average winter highs barely grazing over freezing, bugs have developed strategies that help them withstand the cold. During the winter, bugs have evolved to either get rid of the food and water in their body, so they don't freeze, and then go into a sort of hibernation, or they emit a waxy freeze-avoidant coating to their bodies to keep ice from forming. When we warm up in the Summer, the bugs start to swarm in Indiana. Of course, those bugs are a nuisance and pose some health risks.

Indiana's Department of Natural Resources warns against bugs like certain beetles, moths, bees, and weevils. These pests can spread disease, wipe out crops, and infest a house or business right under your nose, causing structural damage and health impacts before you even notice they're there. But Indiana has plenty of other pests to handle as well.

The number of dangerous bugs in Indiana is growing in variety and quantity. In the past few years, the CDC warned that a deadly bloodsucking insect nicknamed the " kissing bug " had been spotted in Indiana. Just like many other nuisance insects, the "Triatominae" can hide in cracks so small you may not even notice them, sneaking around your house easily or making themselves comfortable underneath your porch, deck, doghouse, or shrubbery without you ever getting wise to their presence. That is until the bug starts spreading Chagas disease, which can lead to heart abnormalities and problems with your esophagus and colon. The bug is such an issue that the CDC doesn't even want you to squash it and instead recommends trapping and then freezing it or drowning it in rubbing alcohol. The better option, of course, is to let a pest control professional handle the situation.

The brown marmorated stink bug was also reported in Indiana for the first time in the past decade. The East Asian native insect is named for its dark, marbled appearance and for the horrifying stench it emits when threatened. The creature is a nightmare for crops and gardens, chewing up whatever it lays its eyes on. It's also been known to invade homes and businesses in the Autumn, stinking the place up and potentially aggravating allergies.

Bed bugs are another growing problem in Indiana. Just an hour away from Muncie, Indianapolis has been climbing toward the top of the list for worst bed bug infestations. In 2019, it ranked #14 on the list for worst cities for bed bugs ; by 2020, it leaped to #9.

Bed bugs are small brown or red insects that sneak into your home or business by attaching themselves to clothing, furniture, purses, and briefcases and travel great distances. They might go from a bush outside to a person's jacket, onto a bus with them, onto someone else, into an office, and then into your home. They live on the blood of humans and animals and are incredibly difficult to spot, often hiding in infrequently-checked spaces like inside box springs, within folds of curtains, inside electrical outlets, within cracks in the ground, and even between the carpet and baseboard.

Their bites wound can become infected, leading to illnesses like ecthyma and lymphangitis. They are notoriously difficult to remove without the help of a pest control professional. As a result, people often report feeling anxiety, experiencing insomnia, and even occasionally depression due to an infestation.

There are plenty of other pests that are common but still create an nuisance can be difficult to deal with if they make their way onto your property. Ticks and flea s are both abundant in Indiana, and both can pose health risks. These two creatures, like bed bugs, feed on blood and their bites can cause allergic reactions and are also spreaders of disease.

Areas adjacent to Muncie, like Grant, Blackford, and Jay Counties have all had cases of tick-borne Lyme Disease between 2017 and 2021. Ticks are also known to spread Rocky mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, Powassan Virus, Prophylaxis, and more. Fleas can spread Plague, Typhus, and tapeworms, as well as heartworms to pets.

If you are experiencing a bug infestation of any kind, or even if you simply suspect you may be subject to one, you should call a pest control professional immediately. It's crucial that the company is experienced and trusted, like Bug Off Pest Pros. Our local business has been serving the Muncie, Indiana , area for over a decade, using the newest technology, products, and procedures to take care of your pest issue as quickly and effectively as possible.

Can You Get Fleas If You Don't Have Pets?

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 22:53:55 GMT

People Without Pets Get Fleas Too

Fleas and pets go hand in hand, but just because you don’t have a furry friend doesn’t mean you live in a flea-free world. While pet ownership is undoubtedly a high-risk factor for infestations, they can also be found in homes without pets. Even vacant buildings can host dormant fleas, making whoever enters vulnerable to ferocious attacks from starving, bloodthirsty insects. Though they prefer to spend their time attached to the animals they feed on, they may also be hiding in carpets, couch cushions, and bedsheets. Regardless of pet status, homeowners need to be aware of their behavior and how to deal with them.

Where Do They Come From?

If you don’t have pets, it may be challenging to pinpoint the exact origins of your flea infestation—especially since there’s no telling how long they’ve been there. Pupae can stay conveniently in their cocoons for over a year, only emerging when they sense a suitable host nearby. Unsuspecting victims can find themselves under assault in a newly purchased home or apartment if the previous residents failed to take precautionary measures. Unfortunately, starving fleas that have been denied a regular meal become highly aggressive, jumping up to 13 inches to bite at your feet and ankles.

They are most commonly found within the home; however, an infestation almost always starts outdoors. Outside of pets, they can enter your home on furniture or other used fabrics. Sometimes, they’ll even hitch a ride on you or your guests’ clothing. Though eggs and larvae can’t survive extreme weather or exposure to sunlight, they can find viable outdoor habitats that are humid, shaded, and shielded from the wind. Potential places include crawl spaces and dense vegetation. If your neighbor has a pet shelter in their yard, you are also exposed to infestations, as wild animals may easily transfer them.

One of the more common sources for homes without previous infestations is on the backs of wildlife. Many wild animals can track them into your home, including rodents that squeeze through tiny cracks or pipes. Raccoons , opossums , feral cats, and other common neighborhood animals often carry fleas , spreading them throughout the regions they inhabit. To deal with a persistent problem caused by wild animals, you’ll have to beat it at the source. Hiring a pest control professional to rid your home of mammalian pests can serve a two-fold purpose, freeing you of wanted guests and the fleas that accompany them.

Unusual Habitats And Encounters

They are found practically everywhere, from inside your home and in your backyard to sandy Caribbean beaches. Unlike other species, the vicious Chigoe flea will gladly take a human host, attacking vacationing beachgoers by penetrating the soles of their feet or the tender flesh between the toes. As they suck blood, their body swells 80-fold, causing intense pain to the host.

Fleas are also common in everyday nature, and wild animal lovers should be wary, lest you want to invite them home with you. In a precautionary tale, John Lydon from the famous band the Sex Pistols found himself covered in bites after hanging out with the neighborhood squirrels near his home in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

Fleas In Indiana

The continental U.S. is home to approximately 325 species, and 30 have been found in Indiana. March through December is Indiana’s flea season, making them an ever-present concern nearly year-round. If you find one, there are bound to be more. And just because you can’t see them, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. In truth, there are approximately 50 present for every one that is visible.

Adult fleas account for only 5% of the population. The other 95% consists of fleas that are at a point of their lifecycle that is invisible to the naked eye. Thus, it is not uncommon for homeowners to have a full-blown infestation before they are aware of a problem of any magnitude. Vacuuming is a great way to find them in your home, as the vibrations will stimulate and reveal them

Professional Pest Service In Muncie, Indiana

Once you find them in your home, the next step is to contact a pest control professional. Most of the time, the usual preventative measures and treatment plans aren’t enough. Particularly when other pests are the root of the problem, you may find yourself with a persistent infestation despite all the vacuuming and washing in the world. Homeowners in areas where rodents are a frequent headache will need to be especially vigilant and benefit from a preventative pest program. The experts at Bug Off Pest Pros are specially equipped to deal with all your pest control needs, from mammals to insects. Contact us today to learn more about our pest services and our 90-day re-treat warranty.

Really Interesting Things About Termites

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 20:22:44 GMT

Termites Are Highly Intelligent Creatures

Most people would never consider classifying the termite as a friend. After all, they're dreaded by homeowners as one of the worst wood-destroying pests in the world, notoriously doing an estimated 5 billion dollar's worth of property damage annually. Yet, you might be surprised to learn that they are as beneficial to our planet as they are destructive.

Let's take a look at some fascinating, little-known facts about these complicated insects.

More than 2,000 termite species live worldwide today, but less than 30 of those actually cause problems for homeowners.

They are highly organized social insects, and were likely the first socialized animal on Earth, with fossils found dating back to the Early Cretaceous period.
They are considered eusocial, meaning that they have a very defined caste system , and every member of a colony has a specific job.
In addition to the ruling queen and her king, there are sterile workers, pre-soldiers, and soldiers who build, maintain, and defend the nest. Then there are fertile reproductive alates, winged members that will eventually fly off to start their own colonies.
The queen decides who does what job in the colony at the time of birth and sprays her larvae with special pheromones from glands near her mandibles that will determine how they develop. (Pretty cool, huh? Wouldn't it be great if we could spit on our kids and turn them into doctors instead of "influencers"?!)
They outnumber and outweigh us. For every individual human on Earth, there are 1,000 pounds of termites.
Their main diet is cellulose, which is in decaying wood and plant matter, although some species will infest live trees. They don't like all woods, however. They won't eat bamboo at all, and they dislike cedar, cypress, redwood, teak, jatoba, walnut, and mahogany trees. They also won't eat lumber as long as it has been pretreated, and they won't eat wood if it has been painted, either. (Take note, builders!)
Termites also ingest fungi, but they don't just eat it—they grow it. They are amazingly sophisticated mushroom farmers. They build elaborate gardens inside their nests, which they seed with spores they've collected. They fertilize and cultivate the mushrooms very attentively, which they use as a food source and a medicine to keep their colony members healthy.
Nests may look like simple mounds of dirt, but they are extravagant feats of architecture, complete with a heating and air conditioning system that effectively regulates the temperature and airflow inside the nest. The average height of a nest is about 5 feet, but in some regions (like Africa and the tropics), they can get as tall as 30 feet high.
Termites are incredibly smart. Once upon a time, a tiny insect was never considered capable of being highly intelligent, but modern science proves those old beliefs wrong. They exhibit both group and individual intelligence on a scale we are just beginning to understand. They have a grasp of math, solve complex problems, and behave calmly and methodically, even under stressful moments such as when they are under attack. They also have strong social bonds and exhibit altruism and concern for their fellow colony members. They will eat from each other's mouths—and butts. (Okay, so from a human perspective, maybe not that smart…)
Termites greatly benefit our planet's ecosystems by fertilizing, conditioning, and aerating the soil. They are one of the few organisms considered nitrogen fixers, as they separate and release nitrogen (crucial to all life, especially plants) from the nutrients they've consumed. A recent study has shown that their presence increased a wheat crop's production by a whopping one-third!
Stuff on earth wouldn't decompose nearly as well without termites. Cellulose requires an enzyme called cellulase to break down. Cellulase is extremely rare, except for termites, one of the very few living organisms that produce it. Without termites, the natural rebirth cycles of the planet's biosystem would not function nearly as efficiently.
Termites have some pretty flamboyant houseguests. Many other insects and birds (like Kingfishers) have been known to occupy their nests. In Brazil's Emas National Park , a forest of nests is illuminated at night by the brilliant, emerald-green glow of Headlight Beetle larvae living within.
Termites also have some fierce enemies, especially ants, whom they are known to wage war with in mind-boggling ways. Those wars involve strategic campaigns, raids, invasions, and well-planned attacks, very much bringing to mind the way that humans wage war with each other. Check out this National Geographic video where an ant and termite battlefront are attended to by "paramedics" after the skirmish.

The Most Formidable Enemy

And another enemy of termites? Bug Off Pest Pros, the leading pest control experts in Muncie and the surrounding areas. We understand that our relationship with this bug may be beneficial in some ways, but we also know that when the battlefront is your home, that is one war you cannot afford to lose. If you have or suspect a termite problem, please give us a call.

How Many Bugs Are In Your House Right Now?

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 12:20:10 GMT

Bugs Are In Your House Even When You Don't See Them

After seeing a creepy crawler run across your kitchen floor or a solitary spider web in a ceiling corner, you may wonder, “Well, how many more are in my home?” It’s an understandable worry, but you may not like the answer. The truth is you may be living with hundreds of bugs at any given moment. The average household has up to 100 different species of arthropods, including spiders, insects, and even centipedes. Luckily, there is a good chance you may never interact or even notice some of these uninvited guests, living in peace without ever crossing paths. Unfortunately, though, even unseen, some bugs can become a severe nuisance or a health hazard.

Benign Bugs You May Barely Notice

Some bugs are merely accidental visitors, carried in by cut flowers, on your clothing, or simply wandering in, while others can be beneficial to your home. Grasshoppers, Lady Bugs, and other yard insects are all examples of insects that can enter and leave your home without ever knowing they’ve visited.

Other pests will extend their stay but are designed to stay hidden. It’s safe to say that most homes have microscopic organisms such as the Dust Mite, a furniture and carpet dwelling insect that are invisible to the human eye. A piece of furniture is not the only place where insects dwell unnoticed either. Ants , Beetles , and Spiders can often live inside your walls, light fixtures, and ceiling. When they reach infestation proportions is when these otherwise harmless (or unseen) insects are noticed.

Pests You Should Be Evicting

Unfortunately, not all pests can live in harmony with you and your home. Many found in houses are relatively harmless but nightmarish to look at, like multi-legged centipedes and certain spider species. Some centipedes are venomous , but not all are. Many smaller house centipedes are not dangerous to humans and will avoid you at all costs. These insects can give you or your visitors and unpredictable scare when you least expect it, while, others can cause severe damage to your property or belongings.

Known as a “silent destroyer,” termites can often go unnoticed for long periods or even be mistaken for common ants. Responsible for up to $5 billion worth of property damage, they infest 600,000 homes annually and more common than you think as they’re present in over 70% of countries across the globe.

It is no shock to open a cupboard or kitchen and finding at least one of these hard-working insects, as they are the #1 nuisance pest in America, ants . Carpenter Ants pose a similar risk to your home as termites as they aggressively tunnel through wood. The only sign you may see is small piles of sawdust-like material.

Other bugs inside your home can be a different type of hazard. Cockroaches and Bed Bugs can be dangerous to your health, carry diseases, cause rashes, or leaving fecal matter on surfaces, all while staying hidden throughout the day. Cockroaches and Bed Bugs are instinctively nocturnal insects, preferring to hide in the shadows until the sunsets. Cockroaches do this for survival, while Bed Bugs are attracted to the carbon dioxide you emit while sleeping.

Guaranteed Pest Control For A Bug-Free Home

So, while you may not know it, there are dozens of different species of bugs living alongside you right now. Most insects are more wary of you than you are of them, but various species can create more headaches than they’re worth. As opportunistic hunters and incredible hiders, most will give even the most prepared DIYer a run for their money. Missing a single Bed Bug or cockroach can nullify all your hard work, preparation, and money spent, and cause your infestation to return quickly. For this reason, smart homeowners are opting for professional pest inspections on an annual basis.

Providing Muncie, Indiana , with expert pest control services, our licensed professionals at Bug Off Pest Pros have been protecting homes for over a decade. Whether you have spiders, a full-blown termite infestation, or only see signs, we believe in using the newest procedures and products to solve your pest problems at an affordable price. Don’t settle for creepy crawlers as roommates. Call Bug Off Pest Pros to ensure your bugs are gone for good.