Sorenson Pest Control Blog

During the 1930s, America was invaded by the Argentine fire ant (Solenopsis invicta).  The biting pests hitched rides on ships bound for ports across the Southern US. In the warm, humid regions that were similar to their Central American homeland, the fire ants quickly established and thrived. They drove out and killed native ants to establish their own colonies.  Unlike native ants, fire ants are extremely aggressive when disturbed. They inflict painful stings that cause itching fluid-filled pustules to form on the skin. Sensitive individuals often experience difficulty breathing, chest pain, extensive swelling, and nausea. The ants are especially dangerous when they take up residence in landscapes where young children frequently play. Even pets are not immune to the fire ant's bite. In some cases, fire ants have been known to kill small birds and other tiny animals that inadvertently disturb a mound.  Knocking down the mound, flooding it with water or spraying...

You're sitting on your couch on a Friday night, legs stretched out in front of you, a glass of wine at your elbow, and a good book in your lap. Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you see something moving... There is almost nothing worse than spotting a spider nearby. Nothing worse, that is, than having a spider jump straight at you! Unfortunately, that's exactly the sort of tactic that the bold Jumping Spider favors. Although he is small, this little guy is not afraid to jump straight at his prey, even if that prey is much larger than himself. Able to jump up to four times his own body length, the Jumping Spider is also quick, ensuring that even though he's one of the smaller members of the arachnid family, he has no trouble taking care of himself.   The rapid-fire pouncing allows them to ambush insect prey that they have stalked. It also allows for an unexpected...

Hickory, dickory, dock, The mouse ran up the clock; The clock struck one, And down he run, Hickory, dickory, dock. Although this Mother Goose rhyme sounds quaint, there's actually nothing cute about having a mouse in the house. A mouse in the house is always bad news for three distinct reasons.  Three Reasons to Worry about Indoor Mouse Control: Reason One: Mice contaminate food. Aside from allergy-inducing mouse dander, food contaminated with rodent urine or fecal matter can lead to bacterial infections and other food-borne illnesses. Since a favorite mouse hobby is to snack in your kitchen after hours, chances are high that if you have a mouse in the house, your food could become contaminated and you could become ill.  Reason Two: Mice damage structures. Make no mistake: mice in the home always lead to some sort ofeconomic damage. Due to gnawing, nest-building, and feeding habits, mice always do their fair share of damage. The sooner they're...

To be sure, mice are a problem any time of year. The problems they cause and the potential diseases they carry are a concern for any homeowner, especially those with young children or indoor pets. Mice create nests inside homes, and can have as many as 100 babies a month. What's worse, what begins as a first floor problem, can easily migrate upstairs, ending in the insulation inside your attic or crawlspace. Further, in the cooler months, mice seek warm shelters. Placing a large target on your home and landscape. Interested in learning more about why controlling mice is more important in the cooler months? Read on for more information. - In cooler months, mice find entry into your home through cracks and crevices. Unfortunately, people don't realize it's happening until they witness evident signs of a mouse intrusion, like mouse visibility or signs of bedding. - Mice also find entry gaps...

Spiders are easily one of the most feared creatures you would ever expect to encounter inside of your home thanks to widespread arachnophobia, a few deaths from Brown recluses and black widows, and Hollywood films like eight legged freaks. You may have tried some insect spray or even some glue traps to vanquish you’re newly found menace, to no result. If you’re tired of fighting spiders and ready to start getting some real results, here are three reasons why you should call a spider control professional. 1. Spiders are hard to kill. Now obviously, if you smash a spider with a boot, unless it’s the spider that bit Peter Parker, it’s going to die. What I’m saying is that spiders don’t pick up pesticides from sprays quite as well as ants or roaches and that glue traps only cover a limited area making a spider a rather elusive target to kill...

Wolf spiders are common around the United States and are distinguished from other household spiders by their black, gray and brown hues, and their formidable speed. Wolf spiders can grow to be 1 ½ inches in size and are often confused with tarantulas, nursery web, and brown recluse spiders. Wolf spiders do not build webs; their namesake comes from the wolf spider’s ability to stalk and hunt their prey. Wolf spider habitats are diverse, and unfortunately sometimes include your basement.  Wolf spiders generally seek indoor refuge in the fall as a result of the changing weather. The easiest way to keep them out of your home is to close off any potential entry points. These include windows and doors that are drafty or lack weather stripping. A gap under a doorway is a welcome invitation for spiders and other pests. Also, check the outside perimeter of your home and the basement foundation for cracks or...

When we think of roach control, perhaps our minds leap immediately to the food service industry: stores, restaurants, and industrial kitchens. This is logical, since food safety issues are paramount to health and safety. However, roach control is important for everyone, not just industrial kitchens:  Cockroaches may become pests in homes, schools, restaurants, hospitals, warehouses, offices, and virtually in any structure that has food preparation or storage areas. They contaminate food and eating utensils, destroy fabric and paper products, and impart stains and unpleasant odors to surfaces they contact. (UC Davis) Roach populations, once they take root inside, expand very quickly, ensuring that there's no such thing as having a small roach problem. Because adult cockroaches can live for up to a year and because females can produce one hundred and fifty young during her lifetime, it is vital that both home and business owners keep on top of roach control so that situations do not get out...

Humans have been using the peppermint plant for centuries as food, fragrance and homeopathic medicine. There is proof that it works in all three of those areas but what about when it comes to mouse control? Can laying a few hard, peppermint candies out on to the counter or spraying oil in front of a suspected den keep the furry critters at bay? Chances are they won’t provide the type of mouse control home and business owners need. So why does the myth persist? Perhaps it has to do with rodent biology. Scientists have long known that mice have an acute sense of smell, which they use for survival. It helps them do everything from identify friends and foes to food. But study research published in Nature Neuroscience, during the summer of 2014, show that there are limitations to the little creatures’ sniffing power. Like humans, mice have a tendency to get distracted...

When you think of a spider, you probably picture a big, round web with its resident spider poised in the center, waiting for a hapless fly to land in the web's sticky strands. With few exceptions, you would be thinking of an orb weaver spider of the family Araneidae. (About Insects) Most commonly found near human habitations, orbweavers spin large webs in which to trap their prey. Their hope is to catch many flying insects. Later, these webs are almost entirely consumed before new ones are built, since by eating their own webs, orbweavers are able to recycle the silk. One of the larger varieties of orbweaver is the Golden Silk Spider, better known to many as the "banana spider." These spiders prefer a tropical climate, and often spin their large, sticky webs in the branches of trees or in the dense undergrowth of the woods, where they become the bane of hikers and hunters. In more inhabited...

The best way to handle roach control is not a secret. In fact, here is the solution! Hire a professional. Yes it really is that easy!  People try several techniques to solve their problems with roaches once and for all, but have to keep fighting them month after month anyway. You can search for 'cheap and easy ways to do it yourself' but you'll never be rid of the problem using any of those methods once and for all. The one method you can use which will fix your pest control problem for good is to hire someone to do it for you. We can help you find a professional fast and easy. But first here are 4 reasons why it is better to hire a pest control company. Reason number 1 to hire a professional: When you bring in the professionals they can recommend the best solutions for you as an individual....

Have you been dealing with mice in your home for years and can't seem to get them out? You're not alone: mice are incredibly clever creatures that are nearly impossible to catch, let alone eliminate. First of all, mice have incredible senses. Their hearing range is wide and includes incredibly high-pitched sounds, which makes it easier for them to hear you coming. And their smell is very strong: they actually recognize living creatures almost entirely by smell. Some mice can even track intruders and friends by sniffing out their footprints. And while mice have fairly poor vision, they make up for it with their sense of touch. Those cute little whiskers detect vibrations and send these sensations directly to their brain. However, long tactile fur also threads through their coat, giving them an even stronger sense of touch. They can often literally feel your footsteps from across the house. Mice also...

DIY roach control techniques are highly attractive to homeowners because they're relatively inexpensive and easy to implement. However, they just can't be considered a truly effective way to deal with a serious roach infection. The advantages of the following DIY techniques are definitely outweighed by their disadvantages. Boric Acid Boric acid is safe-for-human substance that can be combined with sugar and water to create a paste dangerous to cockroaches. Once ingested, it will slowly kill roaches by dehydration. A slow death is part of what makes this a popular technique as it gives roaches plenty of time to share the paste with their young. So, why should you avoid this method? Simple: it just can't kill cockroaches quickly enough to be effective. It can take over a week to successfully kill a single roach. By then, multiple roaches in the colony have likely given birth, Beer and Bread While it's true...

Perhaps ants aren't high on your lists of problems. If that's the case, then we're glad you're here. This post will be an education for you. If you're already aware of the dangers that the ant population can pose, then the following post will leave you not only with your fears more firmly entrenched than ever, but also with a possible solution to help you move forward.  3 Reasons to Worry about Ant Control: Ants Can Bring about Property Damage This is perhaps one of the primary reasons to consult a professional, since property damage can ruin your quality of life and significantly lower the value of your home. Carpenter ants are especially damaging, with their penchant for weakening wood structures when they nest in the walls. Ants Can Cause Asthma and Allergies Not only can ants weaken structures, but they can also have harmful effects on the people living or working in those structures. Tiny yellow pharaoh...

How many spiders do you suppose there are in America right now? A dozen different kinds? A hundred? What if we told you that there are several thousand species of spiders crawling around North America this very minute? Each species of spider is represented by millions of individuals-- do the math, and you'll realize that spiders outnumber humans exponentially. Fortunately, only three species of spider are likely to harm you, so says the Center for Disease Control. Unfortunately, if you share your home or workspace with any dangerous spider, there's not a lot you can do about it on your own. Frankly, you shouldn't even try. For every spider you see, there may be many more hiding nearby. Brown Recluse A Brown Recluse can cause considerable pain and injury to anyone with the bad luck to surprise the normally shy spider. Recluse spiders are known to hide inside shoes, clothes and...

So, you spotted a rodent scurrying across your kitchen floor and decided you need to do something about it. That's totally understandable. However, if you've spotted even a single mouse out in the open, there's a good chance your home is crawling with the critters. And you simply can't get rid of all these mice on your own. There are several reasons you should just leave mouse control to the professionals. Signs of Mouse Infestation Though you should never try to deal with a mouse infestation on your own, you should at least make sure you have one before calling a professional. Tell-tale signs of a mouse infestation include: Small Bee-Bee Sized Droppings Scratch Marks Holes in Walls Chewed Wires Gnawed Plastic Items Shredded Paper Scurrying Noises in Walls Musty Odors Dangers of Mice Infestation While you may be willing to share a home with mice, that is definitely not a...

Did you know that there are more than five different species of ants that routinely cause problems for homeowners? Its true and one of them is the Crematogaster ashmeadi. Also known as acrobats, they have unusual features and behaviors that not only make them stand out among their peers but give rise to the need for an ant control professional’s services. What Do They Look Like? Visually, acrobats have extremely glossy, brown, black or red bodies that are 3.2-milimeters long and sport heart-shaped gasters outfitted with small stingers. And yes, they have no qualms about using them and their mouths to inflict pain on other living creatures. Of course they also use their mouths to ingest sweet liquids and water from wet wood, which is one of their favorite nesting sites. Understandably, they are just a few pressing reasons why professional ant control measures are needed when acrobats are involved. Which Behaviors...

Do you fear that Africanized honey bees have taken up residence on your property? If so, you may have cause for concern. Of course not all of the horrific stories are true. Some are simply urban legends meant to warn away children and others prone to going into respiratory distress or anaphylactic shock. But that doesn’t mean the presence of Africanized insects isn’t reason enough to hire bee and wasp control experts. Licensed, Certified Pest Control Operators or CPCOs are highly trained individuals who have a grasp of bee and wasp control measures that exceeds their peers. Consequently, they are the best people to call regarding a potential Africanized honey bee colony. Most colonies of Africanized honey bees tend to swarm between now and the end of July. The swarms, by the way, tend to be the most dangerous when it comes to loss of life and property damage. So this...

What is 7-inches long, weighs less than an ounce and has a 4-inch tail? If you guessed a house mouse, you’d be correct.  It can scurry through cracks smaller than 1-inch across and jump a foot high off of the ground from a standing position. Plus, the females are often capable of giving birth to 60 offspring in a given year.  At first blush, that may seem pretty impressive. Unfortunately, nature’s little marvels also carry infectious, harmful pathogens with them. So, there is certainly no place for house mice in a person’s home. Thankfully, there are mouse control measures available that will successfully keep the infectious critters away. The situation and the homeowners’ preferences will help determine which ones mouse control experts use to achieve their objectives. In general, mouse control efforts start with determining the tiny mammals’ point of entry. The suspected main entry is then sealed along with any...

Yellow jackets may be considered social insects among their kind but there are very few humans that want to associate with them and with good reason. They are often extremely uncompromising, reproduce quickly and have the ability to deliver nasty stings. In addition, it’s often hard to spot their nest until it’s too late. This is especially the case with subterranean yellow jackets. Along with their above ground cohorts, they tend to build new nests each spring. As such, its best for homeowners to begin thinking about bee and wasp control now, before fledgling nests have time to grow. If left unchecked, it is common for above and below ground nests to eventually shelter more than 200,000 yellow jackets at a time! That’s pretty disturbing, considering that yellow jackets have the capability to sting and release irritating venom into their victims multiple times. According to medical experts, less than 100 people die...

Roaches are probably the most loathsome and the most prolific pest there is. They infest the walls and other hidden spaces of a private home, venturing out in search of food, leaving droppings and their dead bodies everywhere. Controlling roaches is important, not just because they look horrible and smell worse, but because they constitute a health hazard. According to the National Center for Healthy Housing, roaches are a particular danger for asthma sufferers because the debris they leave behind can be breathed in. They are also carriers of a number of diseases that can afflict anyone, especially the young, the old, and people who are already ill with something else. Controlling roaches can be very challenging, mainly because they are good at two things – breeding and surviving. They are better at hiding than most people are at finding and killing them. More roaches will always find a way to get...