Synergy Jackson Pest Control: Answering Your Questions April 9, 2021

How long do flies live on average and how do you get rid of flies?

To get rid of flies in and around your home, it is important to know how long flies live and how fast the reproduce.  The most common flies and gnats in Mississippi include house flies, fruit flies, fungus gnats, horse flies, midges, mosquitoes, drain flies, and black flies.  A good estimate of how long flies live(depending on the species) is 2-4 weeks.

To get rid of flies, first identify the type of fly infestation you are dealing with.  House flies respond well to fly bait and sanitation measures.  Fruit flies and fungus gnats are better managed first through sanitation, removing the organic matter attracting them.  Then an organic drain foam to prevent the problem from reoccurring may be best.  Outdoor flies are best managed with liquid insecticides applied with a backpack sprayer or mistblower.

What is a recluse spider?  I think I have Brown Recluse spiders in my house.

Brown Recluse spiders, along with Black Widow spiders, are among the most feared spiders in the US.  Brown Recluse spiders are about the size of a quarter and many are recognizable due to the violin-shaped pattern on their abdomens.  Brown Recluse spiders are also called fiddleback spiders.

Brown Recluse spider bites are quite rare because Brown Recluse spiders are not aggressive and only bite when threatened.  A Brown Recluse spider bite, though rare, can be very serious.  The initial bite may not be painful; however, a blister or pimple forms in the days after the bite.  Death of tissue, or tissue necrosis, as well as skin infections can occur after a Brown Recluse spider bite.

What is the best bed bugs treatment for bed bugs on mattresses?

Finding bugs on your mattress can be alarming.  Figuring out what type of bugs are infesting your mattress and bedroom is critical.  One of the worst pests in the bedroom are bed bugs.  Bed bugs can be extremely difficult to get rid of.  If its bed bugs on your mattress, immediate action is needed.

Bed bugs are excellent at hiding during the day waiting until they detect CO2 from a sleeping human to come out.  This makes killing bed bugs with contact spray insecticides difficult.  Additionally, bed bugs can rapidly reproduce.  What starts as a small bed bug problem can quickly become a serious bed bug infestation. 

To get rid of bed bugs the best option is to hire a pest control company that specializes in bed bug extermination.  The company can guide you through the critical first step of preparing your home and bedroom for a bed bug treatment.  Bed bug treatments can include heat, insect growth regulators, aerosol and spray insecticides, and dusts.

I have biting ants around my house.  How do you get rid of ants?

The most common biting ant around our Mississippi homes are fire ants.  Fire ant stings are very painful and for those people at risk for hypersensitivity reactions to venom the outcome can be deadly.  Fire ants are both invasive and extremely aggressive when their nest is disturbed.

To get rid of fire ants, many homeowners first try to apply a liquid, dust, or granular insecticide to individual mounds.  Unfortunately in many cases this just causes the fire ants to move around the property and build new mounds.  Getting rid of fire ants for good usually takes time and the use of fire ant specific baits.  Fire ant baits work slowly by transfer from worker ants back to the mound, eventually killing the queen.

What is a Black Widow spider and what do you do about a Black Widow spider bite?

Most Black Widow spiders are easy to identify with their shiny black bodies and red hourglass pattern on their abdomens.  Black Widow spider venom is 15 times more intense than that of a rattlesnake.  Fortunately, Black Widow spiders are not aggressive and usually only bite when threatened.

Black widow spider bites can be serious and may need to be seen by a healthcare professional.  If a person has a history of allergy to venom, a visit to the doctor is a must following a Black Widow spider bite.  Their bites can be quite painful and care of the bite site is definitely recommended.  If there is any question of whether it was a Black widow spider that bite you, check the bite site for fang marks.

What are the best rat traps to get rid of rats quickly when rat poison is not working?

A rat infestation in your home is a serious situation and needs to be dealt with to get rid of the rats quickly.  Rats transmit a number of diseases that can be deadly to humans.  A rat infestation can quickly become out-of-control due to rats ability to rapidly reproduce.  Rat poisons are effective at getting rid of rats quickly but can be very dangerous unless used by licensed pest professionals.

Rat trap options include:

1.Rat snap traps

2.Rat glue traps

3.Rat live traps

4.Electronic rat traps

What are ants with wings or flying ants?  Are they different from termites?

Flying ants or ants with wings are often confused with termites.  It is critical to determine whether the infestation in or around your home is ants or termites.  Ants can be bothersome but termites represent a major threat to your home.  Termite destruction cost homeowners over $5 billion per year.

Flying ants have unequal sets of wings and a pinched waist compared to termites.  Also flying ants have bent antennae whereas termite antennae are straight.  Flying ants outside your home are normally not something to be concerned with.  However, if the ants with wings are carpenter ants, determining the location of the carpenter ant nest and eliminating it is essential.  Carpenter ants can also cause destruction of wood around and in your home.