The House Centipede

House Centipedes have very long legs, and are often seen running (quickly) in basements and attics and other cool, indoor places. These centipedes hunt crickets, ants, roaches, sow bugs, and other small creatures. House centipedes are one of the few types of centipedes that are not commonly found underneath rocks and logs.

It is believed to be native to the Mediterranean region in Europe and has come to our part of the country from further south.

House Centipedes have a distinctive overall shape, with notably long legs. The general colors are yellowish brown hues, with three dark stripes running along the top of the body with lighter shading between them. The 15 pairs of legs are banded, becoming lighter toward their tips, with barbs that help hold onto prey.

Mostly encountered indoors in damp areas such as bathrooms, cellars, and crawl spaces. It will venture beyond these areas and is often seen quickly scurrying across people's floors or climbing a wall.
Indoors they are likely to be found at all times of the year provided they have warmth and available prey. To the North they will only be found outside during Summer.
Predatory on other arthropods, including cockroach nymphs, flies, moths, bedbugs, crickets, silverfish, earwigs, and small spiders. In short, they'll eat many things you'd probably much rather not have in your home.

Consider these beneficial in your home, since they rid you of other pests.
You'd be lucky to get a good look at one of these since they run away very quickly when approached.
House centipedes are aggressive predators to things their own size but are not considered dangerous to humans. Their small jaws (actually modified front legs) cannot easily pierce human skin. In the rare event you were bitten, pain and swelling may result, but it would probably be no worse than a bee sting.
If you're plagued by these, you should endeavor to rid yourself of their prey and attempt to close up as many entry points into your house as possible.

The Brown Recluse Spider

The Brown Recluse Spider, as its name indicates, has the ability of hiding at your homes in the darkest and smallest places it can find. This species of spider normally attacks its prey injecting venom along with their bite. The venom of this spider is powerful, it is used to kill other insects.

In the mature brown recluse spider as well as some other species of recluse spiders, the dark violin marking is well defined, with the neck of the violin pointing toward the abdomen. The abdomen is uniformly colored, although the coloration can range from light tan to dark brown, and is covered with numerous fine hairs that provide a velvety appearance. Both sexes are venomous. The immature stages closely resemble the adults except for size and a slightly lighter color. Whereas most spiders have eight eyes, recluse spiders have six eyes that are arranged in pairs in a semicircle on the forepart of the cephalothorax.

Brown recluse spiders generally occupy dark, undisturbed sites, and they can occur indoors or outdoors. In favorable habitats, their populations are usually dense. They thrive in human-altered environments. Indoors, they may be found in attics, basements, crawl spaces, cellars, closets, and ductwork or registers. They may seek shelter in storage boxes, shoes, clothing, folded linens, and behind furniture. They also may be found in outbuildings such as barns, storage sheds, and garages. Outdoors, brown recluse spiders may be found underneath logs, loose stones in rock piles, and stacks of lumber.

• PREVENTING SPIDER BITES
  1. Shake out clothing and shoes before getting dressed.
  2. Inspect bedding and towels before use.
  3. Wear gloves when handling firewood, lumber, and rocks (be sure to inspect the gloves for spiders before putting them on).
  4. Remove bedskirts and storage boxes from underneath beds. Move the bed away from the wall.
  5. Exercise care when handling cardboard boxes (recluse spiders often are found in the space under folded cardboard flaps).

If you have any questions regarding the BROWN RECLUSE spider or any other pests, please give SWAT PEST MANAGEMENT a call today at 1-800-894-8024. We look forward to serving you!

Little Black Ants

• Body 1/16 inch in length


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  Antennae have 12 segments with a 3-segmented club
  Shiny black


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  Workers prey on insects and feed on honeydew produced by plant sucking insects such as aphids.

Little is known of the life history of this ant. Colonies are moderately sized to large, containing up to 2,000 workers and many queens. Colonies consist almost exclusively of workers and brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) during most of the year, but winged males and females are produced during the summer. It is presumed that most nests are established by one or two queens. In the laboratory, queens may live approximately one year; workers may live about four months.

The little black ant, has highly adaptive nesting habits. Nests can be found in the soil in open areas of lawns or under objects such as stones, bricks, wood and logs. In buildings, they nest in woodwork, wall voids, masonry, and under carpets. At high population densities, little black ants may become widely dispersed throughout a structure and invade nearly every crack and crevice. They are highly visible on established foraging trails, particularly when they invade food cabinets and pantries.

Little black ant colonies in and around buildings generally are not numerous. They can usually be controlled by limited insecticide applications or the use of baits. Surveys should be done inside and outside to locate all nests. Outdoor colonies can be treated with a residual insecticide by drenching the nest sites, using a compressed sprayer. Nests in wall voids can be treated by injecting aerosol through cracks and crevices and around baseboards. If nests cannot be located, toxic baits can be effective when placed on foraging trails. It is a good idea to remove all liter and objects under which ants can nest and to seal all cracks in exterior walls where ants can enter.

Termite Control...By Swat Pest Management

Pre-Construction Treatment- This service provides termite control to your new home before you ever move in. This method of treatment is non evasive and is performed during the construction of your home. Once you move in you have less worry about termites damaging your beautiful new home for many years

Post-Construction Treatment- There are two kinds of home when it comes to termites, those that have them and those that WILL! We can help eliminate termites in your home no matter how old it is. SWAT Pest Management will treat your home with Termidor the leading termite control product. The termites will be eliminated in 3 months or less GUARANTEED!

Signature Plus Service- With the “Peace of Mind” program we will combine your pest management service with your termite service for one easy billing process. The structure will be treated with Termidor the leading termite control product. To eliminate any termite problem you may have. Monitoring stations will be placed on the exterior perimeter of the structure and your service technician will inspect these stations during your quarterly service. If a termite problem arises it will be detected quickly and taken care of quickly GUARANTEED!

Spider Mites

Spider mites are extremely small insects that look a lot like spiders. Most home owners miss seeing spider mites (due to their size) until there's an extremely large infestation. Spider mites like eating the undersides of leaves and sucking out the juice of the plant.

1. Remember that spider mites are very small. Female spider mites are the size of a ballpoint pen tip. Male spider mites are even smaller.

2. Check the underside of the plants surrounding your lawn for tight webs. If there's a large infestation, the spider mites may end up spinning webs around the plant.

3. Note speckled appearances in plants around your grass. Since spider mites are so small, they only leave tiny dots of yellow on leaves. However, they can make leaves drop or even destroy the plants. In lawns, clover mites tend to leave silver streaks in your grass strands. With large infestations, patches of grass will have a yellow, dead appearance.

4. Look for spider mites inside your house. Once it becomes warm, they will spread to your indoor plants. While they don't bite or spread disease, they do make red marks when killed that are hard to clean up after. And they'll kill your indoor plants.

Here at SWAT PEST MANAGEMENT we can take care of ALL of your pest control needs...Give us a call TODAY - 812-476-9708

Water Damage - Cleanup and Mold Prevention

Water Damaged Material:


1. Books and Paper -

a. For non-valuable items, discard books and papers

b. Photocopy valuable/important items, discard originals

c. Freeze (in frost-free freezer or meat locker) or freeze-dry

Water Damaged Material:

2. Carpet and backing - dry within 24-48 hours - (the subfloor under the carpet must also be cleaned and dried.)

a. Remove water with water extraction vacuum

b. Reduce ambient humidity levels with a dehumidifier.

c. Accelerate drying process with fans.

Water Damaged Material:

3. Ceiling Tiles and Cellulose insulation -

a. DISCARD and replace

Water Damaged Material:

4. Concrete or cinder block surfaces

a. Remove water with water extraction vacuum

b. Accelerate drying process with dehumidifiers, fans, and/or heaters

Is Your House Making You Sick?

Molds, mildew and fungi are present everywhere...inside and outside. Furniture, carpet, books, even the air we breathe is full of spores. Humid, dark places with little air circulation promote the rapid growth of these fungi.
Mold Causes and SymptomsMolds typically grow in buildings affected by water damage and are a potential cause of many health problems including asthma, sinusitis, and infections. People sensitive to molds are particularly uncomfortable on cloudy, rainy, damp days.

Mold Prevention Tips
Important: Always follow instructions of commercial cleaning products and wear an approved mask if you are sensitive to chemicals.

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  Use a dehumidifier in damp areas (above 50% humidity) of your home. Change the water frequently in the dehumidifier and disinfect to prevent mold from forming.


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  Peform diligent housekeeping, clean with a solution of hot soapy water and 20 Mule Team Borax or bleach (if the item is colorfast). Use gloves and wear a mask to limit your exposure to chemicals.


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  Dry and/or replace water damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.
  Look for mold or mildew in attics, basements, closets, bathrooms, dirty clothes, hampers, garbage cans and children's soiled stuffed toys.


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  Check the insides of shoes for mold and scrub and dry thoroughly in the sun if possible.


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  Try to improve air circulation in the attic, basement, closets and bathroom.


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  Wipe down the refrigerator and freezer door seals. Clean the refigerator often throwing away left-overs and old produce.


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  Dry damp areas in the kitchen, laundry room, under the kitchen sink and under the lid of the washing machine.


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  Clean the lint filter after each load in the dryer.


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  Clean and/or replace air conditioner filters periodically.


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  Clean ceiling fans once per month.


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  If closets are damp, keep the light on to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.


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  Wash pillows and blankets often. Note: Feather pillows are not recommended for feather-allergic individuals! Hypo-allergenic pillows are available.


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  Outside, have fallen leaves, decaying plants and compost heaps removed.

Swat Pest Management - Pest of the Week

This week we will talk a little about the health risks that a cockroach infestation poses to your family.

Cockroaches in the home environment are a health hazard not only because of the risks posed by cockroach antigens to asthma sufferers, but also because they can carry disease-causing germs and because some of the methods traditionally used to eliminate them cause additional health hazards.
Any home can have cockroaches. However, there are steps you can take to prevent cockroaches from becoming a problem in your home; identify the extent of and solutions to any potential cockroach problem; and reduce or eliminate cockroach problems.

1.) Wipe off counters, tables, and stove tops after all meals, snacks, and food preparations.

2.) Keep food confined to specific areas of the house and clean any spills immediately.

3.) Keep all food and garbage in tightly sealed containers.

4.) Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink, on the counter, or in the dishwasher overnight.

5.) Remove all piles of boxes, cardboard, newspapers, etc. from both inside and around the home.

6.) Fix leaky pipes, faucets, toilets, and other plumbing problems.

7.) Use a bathroom fan that vents to the outside after all baths and showers to reduce humidity.

8.) Caulk all cracks and crevices throughout the home around systems such as plumbing, electrical, and gas lines, as well as in places like cupboards and walls.

If you have any questions or concern give Swat Pest a call TODAY!