Mold - Is it Growing In Your Home's Contents??

Once you know you have mold in your home, you need to figure out if it's growing on your furniture, clothing, linens, equipment, tools, books, and any other possession. Mold infestation of these items can be an enormous because it can re-contaminate cleaned-up areas or spread to other parts of the house, not to mention increase the overall level of mold hazard in the home. Now the task begins of finding out how widespread the mold is and exactly where it's growing.
Mold is often found on wood and fabric, especially on unfinished wood surfaces, such as the inside of dresser drawers, the undersides of tables, and upholstered furniture. Debris that accumulates in upholstered furniture, such as bits of spilled food, soil from shoes and clothing, pet dander, and skin flakes, serve as food for the mold. Mites take up residence there too.

Curtains and shades are often exposed to mold because they're up against cold windows and condensation. If they're washable or dry-cleanable, you may be able to salvage them. But if they still smell musty or still have stains after cleaning - throw them away!

Carpet and Area Rugs -
If you have wall-to-wall carpet, and it stays wet for several days, it has a very good chance of breeding mold. This is why having your home and it's contents dried out in 24-48 hours is critical following a water event.

For more information an mold remediation, call Healthy Spaces by: Swat Pest at 812-476-9708

Preventing Mold

Many people have unknowingly created mold problems in their homes. Common sense is the key in developing a lifestyle and a simple maintenance routine that will reduce the chances of mold and other allergens contaminating your home.

Here are some tips -

Flooring - Consider removing wall -to- wall carpeting if you live in a humid climate. Hardwood, linoleum, vinyl, and ceramic tile or stone are better choices. Mold grows very well in carpet, where it's difficult to remove.

Walls and Ceilings - Don't use wallpaper in a humid environment. For a decorative effect, consider a painted stencil border or a wallpaper border that covers only a small portion of the walls.

Closets and Storage Areas -

-Minimize clutter, since it encourages dust (food for dust mites) and makes inspection for cleaning up/removing mold much more difficult.

-Don't stockpile newspapers, magazines, or paper bags. All are mold food sources.

-Don't crowd clothing or other items up against closet walls.

-Check regularly for a musty smell or any other sign of mold.

For more information on mold and mold remediation call Healthy Spaces by: Swat Pest at 812-476-9708

Mosquitoes - How they work

Mosquitoes have been around for over 30 million years. And it seems that, during those millions of years, mosquitoes have been honing their skills so that they are now experts at finding people to bite. Mosquitoes have a battery of sensors designed to track their prey...Some of these sensors include chemical sensors, visual sensors, and heat sensors.

Mosquitoes use their chemical sensors by tracking carbon dioxide and lactic acid on their sources from up to 100 feet away. Mammals and birds give off these chemicals during the simple act of breathing. Certain chemicals in sweat can also attract mosquitoes, people who don't sweat much don't get nearly as many mosquito bites.

Mosquitoes use their visual sensors because in their minds, everything moving is probably "alive" and therefore full of blood, so this is a good sensor to have. Mosquitoes can also detect if a human is wearing clothing that contrasts with their background and they will zero in on you that way as well.

Mosquitoes use their heat sensors to detect live "animals" once they get close enough this sensor is one of their strongest.

The following pictures will show you the life cycle of a mosquito

1- An egg is laid on the surface of water

2 - The egg hatches in an aquatic larva

3 - The larva then changes into an aquatic pupa

4- The pupa changes into a free - flying adult

For more information on mosquitoes and their control, please call Swat Pest Management at 812-476-9708.

Blow Flies

When huge numbers of flies suddenly appear inside the home, homeowners become very distraught and often don't know what to do. The flies often look somewhat like houseflies, but may be shiny green, blue, bronze or black. These shiny, metallic colored flies are called blow or bottle flies. They congregate around windows and produce a buzzing sound.

Bottle or blow flies lay eggs in decomposing organic matter, like garbage, animal manure, decaying vegetables, grass clippings and poorly managed compost piles. These flies are important in nature in the decay process of animal carcasses and are usually the first insects to arrive—within hours or even minutes—after an animal dies.

When these flies suddenly appear inside, it means one of these disgusting sources is producing flies and should be found.

A few possibilities to chek out -

1 - The first possibility is there is a break in sewer pipes where sewage is seeping beneath the pipe where flies can get to it.

2 - A second possibility is garbage that has not been taken out often enough. During the summertime, flies can lay eggs in meat and vegetable scraps in your trash can and can go through an entire generation in less than a week. When fly maggots finish feeding, they often crawl away and pupate in dark, secluded places. Sometimes these maggots or pupae are seen by homeowners who do not know what they are. Vacuum them and discard the bag. Those missed will emerge later as flies.

3 - A dead animal carcass will produce a flush of flies. One common source is a mouse in a forgotten mouse trap or dead inside the walls after eating mouse poison. A squirrel, bird or racoon that dies in the chimney or attic can be fodder for flies. The bigger the animal, the more flies will be produced, although it is amazing how many flies can develop in even a small animal like a mouse.

These flies are attracted to the light from windows during the day so fly strips are a non-toxic method of capturing them. Of course, there is the handy and traditional flySWATter. It takes a little more work, but many people feel a sense of satisfaction after using it successfully.

For more information give us a call today - Swat Pest Management 812-476-9708

Does Your Home )or one you plan to purchase) Have Mold?

Mold, like anything else, is easy to locate if you know what to look for and the right questions to ask. There are some good indicators that include:

1 - A musty smell (Approximately 90% of homes with mold have this.)

2 - Evidence of a water leak or condensation.

Wheather you're buying a house or currently own a home and are concerned about mold, ask the seller (or yourself) the following questions.

A - What is the condition of the roof? Has it ever been patched?

B - Have you had chimney, dormer, vent pipe, or other flashing repairs done?

C - Have you had window casings or trim replaced?

D - Have you had any repairs made to your siding?

E - Have you ever replaced the hot water heater? When? Was it due to a leak? How long did it leak before being replaced?

F - How is the air conditioning unit functioning? Have you ever had the condensation line/pump back up?

G - Is the heating or air conditioning system in the crawl space or attic? If in the attic, has it ever leaked onto the attic floor or ceiling below?

Mold is found in homes more often than you would imagine. A typical home inspection is limited to visible mold and guidance on what needs to be done to correct it. Many times, mold inspection reports have ended negotiations for a home's sale.

For more information on mold remediation, please call Swat Pest and Healthy Spaces at 812-476-9708. We look forward to serving you!