Pest problems aren't always as simple as seeing a bug and spraying it. The pest, the property, the time of year and what's happening around the home or business can all make a difference.
Below are answers to some of the questions we hear most often from customers throughout Southern Colorado.
It depends on the property and the pest pressure. Some problems can be handled with a one-time treatment, while homes with recurring spiders, ants, earwigs and other seasonal pests often benefit from regular service.
We don't believe every property automatically needs the same schedule. We look at what's happening and recommend what makes sense.
Pest activity slows down during colder weather, but it doesn't completely disappear. Mice often move into structures looking for shelter, and spiders and other pests can remain active in protected areas such as basements, crawlspaces, garages and wall voids.
Whether winter service makes sense depends on the pest and the property.
Seeing some activity shortly after treatment doesn't necessarily mean the treatment failed. Pests that were hiding in cracks, wall voids or other protected areas may continue to emerge for a period of time.
How quickly activity decreases depends on the pest, the size of the problem and the treatment used. Some infestations require follow-up rather than a single treatment.
No. The right treatment depends on the problem.
Sometimes an exterior treatment is enough. Other situations may require targeted treatment indoors, baiting, trapping, monitoring, exclusion recommendations or a combination of methods.
We prefer treating where treatment actually makes sense instead of automatically spraying everything.
That depends on the treatment being performed. Many routine treatments don't require everyone to leave the property for an extended period, while certain services may have specific instructions.
We'll explain any preparation, re-entry or safety instructions that apply before treatment.
Professional pest-control products have specific label directions that include where and how they may be applied. We follow those directions and will let you know if children, pets or anyone else needs to stay away from a treated area for a period of time.
Always tell us about pets, children or other concerns before treatment so we can take them into account..
No. BugZout offers both one-time treatments and ongoing pest-control service.
Some recurring problems are easier to manage with regular service, but we'll explain what we recommend and let you decide what works for your property.
Absolutely. Text us a clear picture of the pest and we'll take a look.
Sometimes a photograph is enough to identify it. Other times we may need another picture, some information about where it was found, or an inspection to be certain.
Yes. Black widows are found throughout Southern Colorado, including around Cañon City and surrounding communities. They prefer protected, undisturbed areas such as garages, sheds, crawlspaces, wood piles, stored items and sheltered areas around homes.
Seeing one doesn't necessarily mean you have a major infestation, but repeated sightings are worth investigating. Reducing other insects around the property can also help because those insects provide the food spiders need to stay around.
Usually there is something around the property making it a good place for spiders to live. Exterior lighting can attract insects, while eaves, garages, sheds, landscaping and protected corners provide places for spiders to build webs and hide.
Spider control works best when we don't just focus on the spiders themselves. Reducing the insects they're feeding on and removing accessible webs can help reduce overall spider activity.
Yes. Scorpions do live around Cañon City and other dry, rocky parts of Southern Colorado. Properties near rocky terrain, open ground and natural habitat may encounter them more frequently.
Scorpions spend much of their time hidden under rocks, debris and other protected areas, so many homeowners don't realize they're around until one wanders somewhere noticeable.
Scorpions can enter through gaps and openings while searching for shelter, moisture or prey. A single scorpion may simply have wandered indoors, while repeated sightings can indicate favorable habitat or entry points around the property.
We also look at other insect activity because scorpions need prey. Sometimes reducing the food source around a home is an important part of reducing scorpion activity.
Mice can squeeze through surprisingly small openings around foundations, garages, doors, utility penetrations, rooflines and other parts of a structure.
Catching the mice already inside is only part of solving a rodent problem. Whenever practical, we also want to identify where they're getting in and reduce those entry opportunities so new mice don't simply replace the ones that were removed.
If a property continues providing access, food and shelter, new mice can move in after others have been removed.
That's why good mouse control isn't simply setting a trap and forgetting about it. Monitoring activity, maintaining control equipment and identifying possible entry areas can all be important for keeping a recurring mouse problem under control.
German and Oriental cockroaches can require very different approaches.
German cockroaches commonly establish themselves indoors, particularly around kitchens and other areas where food, warmth and moisture are available. Oriental cockroaches are more commonly associated with cool, damp environments and may enter structures from surrounding areas.
Correctly identifying the cockroach is important because we don't automatically treat every roach problem the same way.
The cockroaches you see may only be a small part of the problem. Roaches can hide in cracks, cabinets, appliances, wall voids and other protected locations.
Spraying the visible roaches may kill those individuals without reaching the areas where the population is established. Identification, sanitation, targeted treatment and follow-up can all play a role in getting a cockroach problem under control.
The ants you see are often workers traveling between a colony and a source of food or water. Killing those visible ants doesn't necessarily affect the colony itself.
Finding where the ants are coming from and identifying the type of ant can make a big difference. Some colonies are outside and entering the structure, while others may be established in protected areas of the building.
Yes. Yellow jackets can establish colonies in underground cavities, including abandoned animal burrows.
These nests can be difficult to notice because the entrance may only be a small hole with insects traveling in and out. Problems often happen when someone walks, mows or works near the entrance and disturbs the colony.
Yellow jacket colonies grow throughout the warmer months, which means there can be far more workers later in the season than there were earlier in summer.
Their food-seeking activity can also become much more noticeable. That's why people who barely noticed yellow jackets earlier in the year can suddenly feel like they're everywhere toward the end of summer.
Absolutely. Bed bugs are not a sign that someone has a dirty home.
They feed on blood rather than garbage or food scraps and can be brought into clean homes, hotels, apartments and businesses. They can hitchhike on luggage, clothing, furniture, bags and other belongings, which is one reason virtually anyone can end up dealing with them.
Cañon City properties can encounter spiders and black widows, ants, mice, wasps and yellow jackets, earwigs, centipedes, scorpions, cockroaches and other seasonal pests.
Pest pressure can vary considerably even within the Cañon City area. A property near open or rocky ground may experience different problems than a home in a more developed neighborhood, which is why we look at the individual property rather than assuming every home needs the same treatment.
They can be. Westcliffe and the Wet Mountain Valley have different elevations, temperatures, property types and surrounding habitat than Cañon City.
Homes in town can also experience different problems from ranches, cabins, outbuildings and mountain properties. Rodents, spiders, wasps and other seasonal pests can all be influenced by the property's surroundings and the time of year.
BugZout provides pest-control service throughout Westcliffe and the surrounding area.
Pueblo West's dry climate, open terrain and larger properties can create favorable conditions for spiders, ants, wasps, rodents and other crawling or seasonal pests.
Properties bordering open ground can experience different pest pressure from homes deeper inside developed neighborhoods. That's why we prefer identifying what's actually happening at the property rather than assuming every Pueblo West home has the same pest problem.
BugZout provides residential and commercial pest-control service throughout Pueblo West.
Salida and the Upper Arkansas Valley can experience spiders, ants, wasps, rodents and other seasonal pests. Pest activity can vary depending on elevation, surrounding open land, the age and construction of the building and the time of year.
Older properties near downtown can have very different conditions from newer homes or properties closer to open land.
BugZout provides pest-control service in Salida and surrounding areas.
BugZout is based in Cañon City and provides pest-control service throughout Cañon City, Florence, Penrose, Rockvale, Westcliffe, Salida, Pueblo West, Pueblo and many surrounding rural areas.
If you're outside one of those communities and aren't sure whether we service your location, give us a call or text. We'll let you know if you're within our service area.
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