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Some things in life are directly harmful to a person’s health, like crashing a car. Other things, however, aren’t as noticeably threatening. One thing we highly encourage homeowners around Spring Branch to consider is just how dangerous some pests can be. Today we will be talking about the German cockroach, a threatening insect that regularly invades homes in our area. To help you better understand this pest, here are some things to consider today.

Is This A German Cockroach?

A cockroach is a flat, oval-shaped insect with a hard compressible body, six legs, and a pair of straight antennae. There are a few different kinds of cockroaches in our area, and each looks a bit different. A German cockroach has a light-brown to tan-colored body, is small, and has two almost parallel dark lines located behind its head. Other ways to identify cockroaches indoors include looking for the signs they leave behind. Here are just a few common signs of cockroaches to watch out for.

• Coffee-like fecal droppings
• Grease marks
• Shed skins
• Egg castings
• Dead roaches

If you have noticed anything that might be considered a sign of cockroaches, your next step should be to get a second opinion. At Hill County Pest Solutions, we offer no-obligation pest inspections to aid homeowners in identifying pests like roaches in and around their homes.

How Are German Cockroaches Harmful To Your Health?

German cockroaches are not directly harmful to human health; that is to say, they do not bite or sting. In fact, if cooked properly, you can even eat these bugs. The problem with German cockroaches and other kinds of cockroaches in our area is that they carry dirty and transmit disease-causing organisms. When a roach crawls through a home, it spreads bacteria, pathogens, and parasites over surfaces, left out food, and other things like beverage containers. Some of the most common diseases these pests carry and spread include salmonellosis, cholera, gastroenteritis, leprosy, and listeriosis.

In addition to spreading disease, cockroaches are also a threat to people with asthma and other respiratory problems. You see, their skin and droppings are dry and picked up by air currents indoors. These by-products act like dust and cause breathing difficulty in certain individuals.

How Can I Get Rid Of German Cockroaches?

One thing you should know about German and other kinds of cockroaches in our area is that they are not simple pests to treat. Cockroaches run and hide inside deep crevices, wall voids, and other secluded areas when faced with danger. Sometimes they will use gaps, cracks, and openings to leave homes and wait outdoors until it is safe to return. If you do not find and implement a treatment that completely eradicates these pests and then put in place long-term prevention strategies to keep them out in the future, your problems will not stop.

How Professional Cockroach Control Can Help

If you have cockroaches inside your home and don’t know how to get them out, there is an easy solution. At Hill Country Pest Solutions, we offer detailed home pest control options to aid homeowners in Spring Branch combat dangerous pests like roaches indoors. We will send one of our highly trained and friendly technicians to visit your home. They will perform a detailed inspection, walk you through treatment options, address your problem, and apply an invisible pest control shield to keep future invaders out.Call today to learn more about pest control in Spring Branch and find a service option through Hill Country Pest Solutions that best fits your needs.

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Homeowners face many challenges, especially when they purchase their first home. One common challenge is dealing with pests. Now, some pests that invade homes here in Spring Branch seem like just a nuisance, like flies and ants. Other invasive creatures cause a serious amount of concern. Today we will be talking about one common eight-legged house pest that scares homeowners around the country. Here is what you should know about the cellar spider, aka, the daddy long legs, and how to keep these pests out of your Spring Branch home.

What Do Cellar Spiders Look Like?

A cellar spider has a unique and unsettling appearance. This pest has a very small body and incredibly long, thin legs. The most common species of cellar spider, the long-bodied cellar spider, has, you guessed it, a long body. You can further identify this arachnid by its pale yellow, light brown, or gray body tone and the dark and light thin bands on its legs. If cellar spiders invade your home, they are likely to stick around dark and damp areas like basements and cellars. When conditions outside are hot, cold, stormy, or otherwise unfavorable to this pest’s health, it becomes more active, seeking shelter nearby, usually inside area homes or outbuildings.

Is It Dangerous To Have Cellar Spiders In My Home?

One question we find homeowners asking is, “Are cellar spiders dangerous?” Some people believe that these pests have incredibly deadly venom but cannot use it on humans because their bite can’t pierce the skin; however, this is unproven. Just because this arachnid is not harmful does not mean other types of spiders aren’t. For this reason, always take caution when interacting with spiders and do your research to find out which spider bites are medically dangerous.

Easy & Effective Cellar Spider Prevention Tips

Like other types of spiders in our area, Cellar spiders live on a diet of insects. If these arachnids are not invading homes to stay safe, they are coming inside to hunt other pests. If you want to keep spiders and pests out of your living areas, you need to implement some prevention methods. Here are a few basic pest prevention tips to try today:

• Identify and seal holes, cracks, and openings in your home’s foundation and around window and door frames.
• Repair or replace damaged weatherstripping, door sweeps, and screens.
• Address moisture issues in and around your home.
• Keep unscreened doors and windows shut when you aren’t using them.
• Clean your home regularly and do your best to keep clutter to a minimum.
• Trim your grass as needed and clear out a five-foot dry perimeter around your home’s exterior.

The Secret To Total Spider Control in Spring Branch

Cellar spiders are not the only kinds of spiders that invade homes here in Spring Branch. If you are looking for a way to keep all kinds of spiders and the pests they hunt out of your interior spaces, hire the experts at Hill Country Pest Solutions. Our licensed and trained technicians understand why invasive species come indoors and offer detailed treatment options to remove them fast. We also have long-term pest prevention treatment plans to keep pests like cellar spiders out year-round. Contact us today to learn more about home pest control in Spring Branch and learn why Hill Country Pest Solutions is your best option for controlling spiders.

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What do you feel when you look at an ant? We have noticed that ants do not elicit the same fear that other pests like wasps and cockroaches do. Besides, ants aren’t dangerous. Right? Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Some species in our area pose a serious risk to human health. Today we will be talking about one type of ant that can get people sick here in Spring Branch; the pharaoh ant. Here is everything you should know about these pests and how to get and keep them out of your home.

Where Do Pharaoh Ants Get Their Name?

Pharaoh ants are known for a few different things, one of which is their odd name. Thought to have originated in Africa, some believe these pests were involved in the plagues of ancient Egypt. There is, of course, no way to know if this is true or not. What we do know is that pharaoh ants are annoying, dangerous, and certainly capable of causing serious problems. 

Are Pharaoh Ants Dangerous?

Most ants that live here in Spring Branch are just annoying and pose no threat to human health. Pharaoh ants are a bit different. These pests regularly crawl through trash, refuge, and other dirty things, leaving them teeming with disease-causing organisms. Two common diseases people contract when pharaoh ants get indoors include salmonellosis and staphylococcus. If pharaoh ants in Spring Branch are causing trouble inside your home, clean surfaces more often, avoid any possible contaminated food and seek professional help to get them out fast.

How To Tell If Pharaoh Ants Are On Your Property

Something you might be wondering is, “What do Pharaoh ants look like?” To start, the pharaoh ant is smaller than most area ants and only grows to be about 1/16 of an inch long. It is usually pale yellow and has a darker-colored abdomen. Colonies of pharaoh ants are generally large and number in the tens of thousands. It is not uncommon for these pests to establish several colonies in an area in a process called budding. Where do pharaoh ants live? You are most likely to find these pests nesting in anthills outdoors, inside wall voids and other secluded spaces, and within mechanical or electrical equipment.

What Attracts Pharaoh Ants?

Pharaoh ants in Spring Branch are drawn to homes by a few different things. First, these pests invade to find food and moisture. They are constantly looking for new scavenging grounds and will happily build close to or inside your home if your interior spaces provide good opportunities. If the weather is cold, hot, or otherwise unfavorable outdoors, pharaoh ants look to nearby structures for shelter. Some homeowners experience winter-long infestations of pharaoh ants from having these pests take up residence inside their walls.

How To Keep Pharaoh Ants Away From Your Yard

The last thing you need is pharaoh ants living in or around your Spring Branch home. To deal with a current infestation or establish a defensive perimeter to keep your living areas safe, let the experts at Hill Country Pest Solutions provide you with home pest control you can rely on. We will take care of any current pharaoh ants in your home and install an invisible treatment barrier to keep future invasive pests out. All you need to do is let one of our team members visit your home.

Call today to schedule an appointment for your home and property and learn why Hill Country Pest Solutions is your best option for pest control in Spring Branch.

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