BROWN RECLUSE

 Ten Preventative Maintenance Procedures to do After the Start of your Brown Recluse Program:

1. Make sure on the outside of your house where the air conditioner hoses come into the house is caulked. 

2. In the Utility Room ( or mechanical room, this is usually in your garage or house ), Seal the hoses coming from the hot water heater (the holes) made for your cold & hot water coming from the crawl or Basement. With caulking.

3. The vent in the furnace room or utility room floor that goes into the crawl..put a very fine screen to block insects or spiders coming from the crawl or basement. Do not seal off this vent completely, this room has to breathe.

4. Under kitchen sink the holes that are cut out for your hot and cold water, and your drain pipe, seal these with caulk. 

5. Under all bathroom counters the drain pipes and hot/cold water pipes should be sealed with caulking

6. In all the showers there is metal ring behind the shower head called a beauty ring. This should also be sealed with caulking.

7. In all the bathrooms behind the toilets the hole that comes from the floor or wall to fill the water tank should be sealed with caulking.

8.  The attic fan in the house when not running should be covered with a door or cap made for attic fans. You should cover your attic fan around October through April, when it is inactive due to season. 

9. Fix any seals on doors or windows whenever possible. 

*DO NOT use spray foam for sealing anything on this list. Spray foam contains air pockets that spiders and other insects can build their nests in. 

BED BUGS

These are only 5 things to help you when you travel. Make sure you always investigate with a flash light, with all lights off. Bed Bugs are nocturnal and will move when a light hits them. 

1. When you travel, before you enter your room for the night, leave your luggage in the hallway and check for bed bugs. They could already be in the room and climb into your luggage.

2) When checking your room, make sure you pull up the sheets and check the bed itself all along the edges and corners. *Note: A lot of places have put bed covers over the box springs and the mattress to help with this problem, some you can unzip. If this is possible, do it when you can. 

3) Make sure you and the person staying with you in the room check the head boards, ( they may appear to be attached, but they're not. ) With you on one side, and the other person on the other side, lift it straight up and out. Check the back of it and the grooves that hold it onto the wall. If you're by yourself, just go to the center of the head board and lift it the same way as listed above. If you have a certain health issue remember back strains, breathing issues, etc. Please get help from someone at the place you're staying. They should have no problem helping you.

4) When checking for Bed Bugs, make sure you check the night stands beside each side of the bed. Check the drawers, especially behind and underneath them.

5)  Make sure when checking out, double check your luggage one last time. Sometimes the place you're staying may not be aware they have them.

BONUS (MAY NOT WORK IN ALL CASES)

6. When glue boards are put down around the legs of a bed, you can turn them inside out. In other words, they're facing outwards. If bed bugs do crawl up the legs, they will get stuck on the glue first. This was an idea of a customer! 

COCKROACHES

General Preventive Measures against Cockroaches:

1. Keep all water and food stored away in sealed containers.

2. Use garbage cans with tight lids to prevent openings for insects to hide in.

3. Clean frequently ( or more often ) in the kitchen and other areas. 

4. Any water leaks should be repaired with caulk. 

5. Seal off ANY entry points, such as holes around baseboards, between kitchen cabinets, pipes, doors, and windows. Use steel wool, caulk, or putty.