Kansas Pest Patrol

07/08/2024

FLEAS! They're here, they're there, they're everywhere. We're in the throes of summer and it has a hand in how pests act and how active they are. One of the big issues of summer heat is FLEAS!

Here are some fun tips to help keep the fleas away:
--Believe it or not, half of the flea population you're fighting isn't on your four-legged friend, its in the environment. When a flea lays eggs, those eggs fall off the pet and into the surrounding environment. Vacuuming where you pet likes to lay, and all general floor spaces, goes a long way in keeping the bites down
--Think your pet might have fleas? Check out the areas behind the ears and around the tail. Most fleas pick these spots to hang out because our pets have a hard time reaching those places. Nobody wants to be uprooted from their home by a claw coming out of the sky, am I right?
--In those spots, look for "flea dirt". Flea dirt is often mistaken for eggs as they're tiny black specks that stick to our pets' fur. But, unfortunately, these tiny black specks are actually flea f***s. It's a good indicator that your pet has fleas, as gross as flea dirt is.
--Treating the grassy areas around your home will help tremendously with fleas. Granulating the yard with the right stuff will keep the fleas from being able to latch onto your furry friend

If you or someone you know is having a flea issue, feel free to text or call! (785)893-9195 We service areas around Wellsville including, but not limited to, Ottawa, Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee, Kansas City Ks, Baldwin City, Lawrence, Edgerton, Garnet, Paola, Louisburg and more

05/10/2023

https://pestpatrolbugblog.wordpress.com/2023/05/09/mouse-in-the-house/
Hey guys! I made a post giving advice about MICE!!! If you're having a mouse problem or have ever had one, you might want to take a look. You might find something helpful :)

Howdy, folks! It’s been a while, huh? Today, I wanted to talk about a particular issue, that being: You have a mouse in your house. What do you do? First and foremost: PICK UP!! Make sure tha…

03/31/2023

New blog post! This one is more of a suggestion for your house's exterior and how to avoid loads of bugs

Why mulch? What could I, a pest professional, have to say about mulch? What do I have against mulch? I’ll tell you: Bugs. That’s it. That’s the tweet. Mulch is a HOTBED for bug ac…

03/20/2023

SPIDER BITES! How deadly are they? We explore that and more in my new blog post:

Let’s talk about venom. No, no, not that venom. A spider’s venom. What? No, not that either. I mean a real spider’s actual venom. Sheesh. So, a fun fact is that every spider has v…

03/15/2023

New blog post is up! This time, it's on everyone's favorite topic: BED BUGS!

In short: Oh yes, very much a problem. But here’s the long of it: Bed bugs are gnarly little buggers that you can pick up from just about anywhere. And I mean ANYWHERE. The local movie theate…

03/06/2023

ALSO: I just wrote a blurb about glue boards and what they can do for you. Check it out for some important tips on handling pests!

I’m sure everyone has seen a sticky trap or a glue board at some point in their life. Sometimes, they’re triangular. Sometimes, they lay flat. Other times, we see them folded into a rec…

03/06/2023

I plan to check on my blog/write on my blog way more frequently than i do here on facebook, so give it a follow. You'll find something useful over there, i promise ;)

03/06/2023

Hey guys!
I started a bug blog! The goal is to help inform people about certain pests and how they can be identified, what they need to do, and much more.
You can find that here:

Howdy folks! Welcome to Pest Patrol’s Bug Blog! I’m your hostess, Hannah. Over the years, I’ve accumulated some knowledge about bugs and mammals that people would consider to be &…

10/04/2022

Lets talk about bats! Bats are a common problem here in Kansas. In the state, there is only one known species that's endangered, the little brown bat. This poor guy is one of those. He was found on a glue board in a basement--yes! A basement! Bats are commonly associated with caves and attics, but bats will crawl into basements too. They look for places that have a certain climate or, sometimes, they become desperate for a place to hunker down and an unsealed basement window might be their ideal opportunity for hunkering down. Bats can't take off from the ground, so they tend to find places that are higher up. However, they can walk and crawl on their wings and feet. Often times, if a bat isn't in a place where it can take off, it will crawl until it finds a place. Unfortunately for this little guy, he found a glue board while searching for such a place. While little brown bats are endangered, you are still legally allowed to do something to prevent them from coming into your house, repel them away, or do what's necessary to remove them as the risk for rabies is present and the lives of people takes precedence over the lives of these intruders. How do you know you have bats? Most people assume the scratching in their walls is mice or squirrels, but often times, the issue is really these flying furry friends. The best way to know is to look for signs of nesting--if there are none, and f***l matter is present (often in the form of small pellets, slightly larger than a mouse's) your issue is most likely bats.

If you're in our area and you're experiencing bat problems, call us for a free assessment. We serve Wellsville, KS Ottawa, KS Lawrence, KS Olathe, KS Gardner, KS Kansas City, KS and more!

Happy spooky month! Here's to hoping everyone stays bat-free!

08/30/2022

Lets talk about: Spiders! Specifically, spiders and their winter plans.
Most people are under the belief that spiders die off or hibernate for winter. THIS IS FALSE! Spiders have a natural antifreeze chemical in their systems that protects them from winter's harsh conditions. In fact, scientists have debated as to whether or not spiders even feel cold at all! Crazy to think about, isn't it?
So then, the question becomes: what happens to our spiders in winter?
Well, the answer is simple, even if it isn't pleasant. Most spiders try to find places where there's a large population of bugs. And where would they find bugs? Somewhere warm. Where's a nice, warm, cozy spot for a little bug to overwinter? Your house just might be the answer.
This is generally not fun to think about, right? But, considering the habits of brown recluses, this train of logic becomes even scarier. Brown recluses eat already-dead bugs. Where can they find plenty of those? In the bones of your home.
That said, if you're experiencing a spider problem--brown recluses in particular--it's especially important that you continue treatment through winter. Without that, your spiders can easily find the love of their lives and reproduce like crazy, creating an especially large population come spring or summer.
Talk to your local pest experts to find out what spiders are common in your area, and what signs to look for so you can prevent a problem before it gets out of control.
Thanks for reading! Hope this helps! We service Ottawa, KS Edgerton, KS Wellsville, KS Princeton, KS Lawrence, KS Olathe, KS Louisburg KS and many more! If you're in any of these areas, or around them, and you find yourself tangled in a web, give us a call!! We'd love to help!

08/01/2022

Let's talk about: bed bugs. How do experts get rid of them?
Some people spray them away. However, this is a lengthy process, and can prove to be very uncomfortable for the client with the issue. Sprays are only effective when they come into contact with a bug, and diluted solutions ARE NOT to be sprayed directly on mattresses, which means you have to rely on the bed bug to wander. However, the odds that the wandering bed bugs have already reproduced a time or two are high, so then you have to wait for the young to wander and the process goes on and on.

Most bed bug experts agree that heat treatments are the best way to rid yourselves of bed bugs. Truth be told, the process is a bit of a pain since there are a ton of things you have to remove from your home (wax, fi****ms and ammunition, oil paintings, old photographs, all aerosols, etc.) and you (as well as your pets) have to be away from home all day, but the odds that the problem will be gone are in your favor.

How does heat help? Well, the science is pretty simple. Bed bugs tend to die off at around 119 degrees Fahrenheit. We take a machine that generates heat (like ours, pictured below) and heat your house up to between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Why so high? Because 130 is the temperature at which bed bugs die pretty instantly. We heat your house up to this temperature and keep it that hot for several hours. This gives the heat the chance to permeate through the walls, your dressers, your clothes, and even your mattress which means--Yes! You DONT have to throw away your mattress!!
That said, when choosing a pest control expert to come out and do a heat treatment on your home, make sure they know their stuff. A mistake that some companies make is not heating the house for a long enough period of time. So, if your hired expert is done within two or three hours, expect to see more bed bugs. Make sure you understand what their process is, so that you know if it'll work for you or not.
Our process is stated above: heating the house for several hours and letting the heat permeate. In addition to all that, we leave the AC in your house off and let the heat come down naturally, which gives your house extra time to bake those pesky beg bugs.
If you're seeing a bed bug problem in your home, text or call us at (785)893-9195. We'd be happy to help! Our business serves Wellsville, KS Ottawa, KS Lawrence, KS Olathe, KS Gardner, KS Paola, KS Baldwin City, KS and many more! If you're in or near one of those cities, and you're having a pest problem, give us a shout! We'd love to help

08/01/2022

Let's talk about bed bugs: how do you know you have them?
Bed bugs can be tricky to spot because they tend to come out only when they intend to feed, which is usually when you're in the bed. However, you can often see bed bug "spots" on your sheets or along where the wall meets the ceiling. Strange, right? But, bed bugs can and do travel throughout the home.
If you're seeing these spots in your home, you'll want to contact an expert to get rid of the problem ASAP, even if that expert isn't us (of course, we'd love it if we were)
Remember: bed bugs are opportunistic feeders. You don't have to live in a dirty/gross environment to obtain and feed bed bugs, you only need blood in your body.
Keep an eye out! Don't let the bed bugs bite! And, if they are, feel free to contact us at (785)893-9195. We serve Wellsville, KS Baldwin City, KS Olathe, KS Gardner, KS Ottawa, KS Paola, KS Rantoul, KS Lawrence, KS and many more! If you're near any of those places, odd are, we'd be glad to come out and help, just give us a holler!