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!

Good Night Sleep Tight...Don't let the BED BUGS bite!

Bed bugs are increasingly becoming a problem within residences of all kinds, including homes, apartments, hotels, cruise ships, dormitories and shelters.



What is a bed bug?
Bed bugs are small wingless insects that feed solely upon the blood of warm-blooded animals. Bed bugs and their relatives have evolved as nest parasites. Certain kinds inhabit bird nests and bat roosts and await the return of their hosts; others have adapted well to living in the homes of people.


Hatchling bed bugs are about the size of a poppy seed, and adults are about 1/4 of an inch in length. From above they are oval in shape, but are flattened from top to bottom.

Their color ranges from nearly white (just after molting) or a light tan to a deep brown or burnt orange. The host’s blood may appear as a dark red or black mass within the bug’s body. Because they never develop wings, bed bugs cannot fly.

When disturbed, bed bugs actively seek shelter in dark cracks and crevices. Cast skins of bed bugs are sometimes discovered. Although such a finding confirms that bed bugs had been present previously, it does not confirm that any continue to infest the residence. Thus, inspect carefully for live crawling bed bugs. Because many other kinds of small brown bugs may be discovered, it is critical to ensure that the bugs are correctly identified.


Where bed bugs occur....
They are most abundant in rooms where people sleep, and they generally hide nearest the bed or other furniture used for sleeping. Bed bugs are most active in the middle of the night, but when hungry, they will venture out during the day to seek a host. Their flattened bodies allow them to conceal themselves in cracks and crevices around the room and within furniture. Favored hiding sites include the bed frame, mattress and box spring. Clutter around the room offers additional sites for these bugs to hide, and increases the difficulty in eliminating bed bugs once they have become established.


How bed bugs invade a home...
Because bed bugs readily hide in small crevices, they may accompany (as stowaways) luggage, furniture, clothing, pillows, boxes, and other such objects when these are moved between apartments, homes and hotels. Used furniture, particularly bed frames and mattresses, are of greatest risk of harboring bed bugs and their eggs. Thus, one should carefully scrutinize and consider the history of any used furniture, particularly ‘street’ items so plentiful at the beginning and end of each academic year. Because they readily survive for many months without feeding, bed bugs may already be present in apparently ‘vacant’ and ‘clean’ apartments. Bed bugs can wander between adjoining apartments through voids in walls and holes though which wires and pipes pass.


Once you have confirmed the presence of bed bugs, call a professional. They will be able to help you devise the best and most effective plan to rid your home of bed bugs. If you would like more information on bed bugs, please call Swat Pest Management at 812-476-9708.

The Deadly Brown Recluse

This spider lives in dark corners and places inside the houses, and also under the furniture, boxes and books. It has a rather shy and nonaggressive behavior, although occasionally the Brown Recluse Spider bites human because they share the same habitat.

Bites do occur, but only when the spider is disturbed, accidentally touched, and when putting on seldom used clothing and shoes where the Brown Recluse Spider has decided to live on.

Its web is loose and irregular, yet made of a very sticky thread. It is only built as a daytime retreat, and as an egg holder.

This arachnid prefers undisturbed places, so the Brown Recluse Spider usually bites the human when it is found caught between a body part and another surface; for example, when the children are playing under house furniture such as beds, tables or in the garage. Also bites happen while a sleeping human rolls in their bed where the Brown Recluse Spider has climbed, or when dressing with clothes or shoes where the spider has hid itself.

The brown recluse spider lives inside the home and also at the house surroundings. Inside the home, the arachnid lives in dark places, such as cracks, corners, seldom used clothes, curtains and inside the furniture. Yet it is very common that a spider gets trapped in the shower or bathtub because of the smooth surface. There have been lots of cases of legs that were bitten while the victim was having a bath. Outdoors, the brown recluse spider is usually located underneath rocks or within hollow wood.

Warning: If you live in zones where the brown recluse spider lives, you must take care when manipulating objects belonging to the garden, such as boxes, piles of wood, pots, etc. The use of gloves is always recommended.

For mor information on the Brown Recluse, pleas call Swat Pest Management at 812-476-9708 - We look forward to serving you!

Back to the Earth - Mold, Fungus, and Rot

Mold has become a big issue is recent years. It is the subject of lawsuits, a terror to builders, the subject of newspaper articles, the reason for school closings, and the growth of a "new" industry - MOLD TESTING and REMEDIATION. With all the recent talk about mold, you may think it's a new complex issue. Mold is not complex, but rather a very simple issue.

Mold has a purpose. It's purpose is to breakdown organic matter. Without mold, dead plant and animal material would just pile up all over the place. If it's dead, organic, and wet, mold knows how to eat it. Mold sends out its spores which may lay dormant for years. When something dead, organic, and wet comes along mold grows on it and eats it.

Mold spores are everywhere, in our building materials, in our furniture, and even in our clothes, this factor cannot be controlled. The only one we can control in our homes is the moisture. Mold likes processed organic materials best - it will grow on paper and cardboard first. Paper is like candy for mold. Fiberboard, chipboard, and plywood come next and finally framing lumber. Sheetrock has paper on it and mold loves sheet rock as well. One thing's for sure; mold growing in your house is not good. It's not only bad for your health, it's just as bad for your home. By not fixing your dirt crawl space, over the life of the house, you are paying many times more than it costs to fix now.

There are really only 4 steps to totally eliminating the dirt crawl space from having negative effects on the rest of the house.

1- Fix any water leakage (if there is any)

2- Isolate the house from the earth. What better way to do that than the Healthy Spaces crawl space encapsulation system?

3- Seal the vents and other outside air leaks

4- Dehumidify your crawl space air.

For more information on fixing your dirt crawlspace or mold remediation call Healthy Spaces by Swat Pest TODAY at 812-476-9708

Don't confuse NATURAL with GREEN

With everyone talking about going Green, our choices can be very confusing. There are plenty of options on the market today with the label Green, but which one is right for you and your family?

As of right now, there are only a handful of groups that are actually regulating what it means to be Green. As always, we at SWAT PEST MANAGEMENT have taken the initiative to help lead our industry in the right direction. Staying on the cutting edge of technology, we have spent countless hours researching and testing what are the best choices to protect not only your family, but our environment as well.

We have several different treatment options for any and all of your pest control needs.

1. EcoEXEMPT IC2: is an all natural substance made from oils such as rosemary, wintergreen, and peppermint. Unlike chemical pesticides EcoEXEMPT IC2 leaves behind a softer botanical scent.

2. EcoEXEMPT JET: For use on all flying/stinging insects. Its quick knockdown action will drop hornets and wasps in seconds after being treated. Its active ingredients contain 3% Rosemary oil to give it a softer scent than related products on the market.

3. EcoEXEMPT KO: This flushing agent will not only provide a good knock down ratio, but also remove pests from had to reach areas. Its active ingredient, Eugenol is derived from clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Like all of the EcoEXEMPT and EcoPCO products is compliant with the National Organic Program (NOP)

4. EcoPCO AR X: Unscented with a fast knock down / kill. It has a strong flushing action. This product is great for residual protection.

5. EcoPCO ACU: Unscented with a fast knock down. It has a strong flushing action without bait contamination. Ideal alternative for those with reactions to pyrethrins.

For more information on "Going Green" with Swat Pest Management give us a call at (812)476-9708. We look forward to serving you.

Trouble in Paradise...

You can't tell from here that the crawlspace in this home is costing its owners extra money in heating and cooling costs and is rotting the house from the inside out... all because of a dirt crawlspace.

On paper, in theory and in reality, exposed earth contributes a lot of water vapor into crawl space air. The earth is damp, and as that damp soil dries into the house, the water vapor moves upward into the house. In most climates where there are dirt crawl spaces, you can never dry the earth, and this invisible stream of water vapor from the exposed earth in a crawl space goes on forever.

There are several other ways water gets in a house. Groundwater seeps, leaks, and even rushes into many crawl spaces. It enters under the footing and the walls, right through the block walls, and through cracks in poured walls. After it seeps in, it just lays there in puddles, slowly evaporating upward into the house.

Many homeowners know their crawl space is nasty, so they never go down there. They shut it out of their "places often visited in my house" list, and say "Hey if I don't go down there, what do I care? Right?" Well we say "Wrong. Very wrong"

Moisture inside your crawl space is bad for whats in your home.

The following is a list a a few negative effects of a wet or damp crawl space:

1. Dust mites (the #1 indoor allergen)
2. Sticking (swollen) doors and windows
3. Smelly damp carpets
4. Buckling hardwood floors
5. Condensation/rotting/mold in your attic
6. Frost or condensation and mold on the inside of windows in cold weather
7. Increased cooling bills
8. Increased heating bills
9. Mold upstairs
10. Decreased life of roof sheathing and shingles
11. Decreased life of the paint on the outside of your house
12. Aggravated asthma and allergies.

The damage in the crawl space itself is obvious. The above list represents many of the effects that can happen on the main level and upstairs that you may not associate with your wet or damp crawl space.

For more information on damp/wet crawl space, call one of our experts today at Healthy Spaces by Swat Pest...812-476-9708