Posts

Chiggers- Pest Control OKC

Pest Control OKC Answers Questions About Chiggers

/in /by

Pest Control OKC: Informative Responses To Customer Questions

Over the last weekend many people celebrated Labor Day festivities in various ways. Some enjoyed their time out at the lake near woodsy areas. Others had their usually backyard BBQ. Of course, being outdoors near grass and trees can invite a lot of insects or other unpleasant things to take advantage of you. One such problem in areas like that are chiggers and our pest control OKC team is answering a few questions regarding these “red bugs”.

Are chiggers insects? 

As our pest control OKC expert, The Bug Guy, will tell you chiggers are not actually insects although many have referred to them as bugs. Instead, they are the larva of mites which belong to the family called Trombiculidae. 

What do chiggers look like?

Chiggers are very small in size. In fact, they are less than 1/50 of an inch in length. These tiny critters appear to be a reddish-orange color and they have six legs.

Do chiggers like to feed on people? 

Primarily, chiggers prefer to feast on reptiles, amphibians, birds, and other small mammals. Chiggers usually don’t seek out a human host, but will when coming into contact with them. Since chiggers normally live in patches, this is the reason people often notice several bites rather than just one or two. 

How can something so small bite people?

Many people make the mistake of thinking that chiggers burrow into the skin like scabies, but our pest control OKC team is here to tell you that chiggers do not behave this way. Instead, they attach themselves to the skin inject digestive enzymes into the bite location. This causes a hardened tube of dead cells called Stylostome. Then, they proceed to suck up the digested tissue with their tiny, little mouth parts called Chelicerae.

What happens to chiggers after they bite?

When they do attach to humans, chiggers usually die off within 72 hours, because they cannot obtain adequate nourishment from a human due to the human immune system reacting to the bite.  

If you discover a chigger problem on your home property the best prevention would be the following:

  • Keep grass short
  • Keep small animals out of your yard which could be possible hosts for chiggers
  • Remove wood debris which could be home to mites
  • Continue with pest control treatments 

Our pest control OKC team hopes this information answered a few questions you may not have previously known the answers to and we’d love nothing more than to help you keep your yard safe from pests like these. If you require our pest control OKC services, please feel free to contact The Bug Guy at 405-973-5522.

Yellow Jacket- Pest Control OKC

Pest Control OKC: Discovering An Unlikely Yellow Jacket Nest

/in /by

A “Yellow Jacket” Story Submitted To Our Pest Control OKC Team

Some yellow jackets build aerial nests, but many build their nests in the ground. These types of colonies can typically be found under porches, stairs, in sidewalk cracks, at the base of trees, or in out of the way places which would normally be undisturbed. Today, our pest control OKC team has a story that is brought to you by submission of a customer who helped us discover a yellow jacket nest in an unlikely location.

The JD Story:

It was a warm, spring day and Lois decided that letting her two children (JD and Matt) play outside in the backyard while she did some housework sounded like a great idea. The children ran outside to play on the old swing set.

After what only seemed like a few minutes of the children swinging, JD let out multiple bloodcurdling screams. Matt ran inside to get their mother as quickly as he could. When Lois and Matt had made it back outside they were horrified to see yellow jackets swarming and buzzing all around JD.

Luckily, JD wasn’t highly allergic to the multiple stings of the yellow jackets and was able to survive the terrifying experience, but has the story to tell for a lifetime.

Upon calling our pest control OKC team, it was discovered that the yellow jacket nest had been made just underneath one of the old, hollow swing set posts. When the children began to swing higher and higher, it caused the posts to rise from the ground and disturb the nest. The motion, no doubt, made for some angry insects.

Our OKC Pest Control Team’s Comments:

In most cases, aggressive behavior from a yellow jacket is not a problem for people unless an accident occurs. They may attack, as well, if you attempt to swat them away with fast movements. Yellow jackets are combative and protective of their nests if they feel threatened. This is problematic for any homeowner who happens to come upon a hidden nest, such as the children in the submitted story.

Our pest control OKC team has been hard at work this year! Don’t be a victim. Give our pest control OKC team a call to eliminate your chances of a run-in with yellow jackets. You may contact The Bug Guy at 405-973-5522.