Blue Duck Pest Control

Ever noticed a small gap around your foundation or siding and figured it was not a big deal? This is exactly the kind of spot mice look for, and here is how we seal it for good.

This is called a rodent shield, a metal strip with two spiked edges, and mice do not like walking across it, they want easy, comfortable access, not discomfort. We attach the shield directly over the gap using tapcon screws, closing the opening completely so it sits flush against the surface.

That construction gap you can see before installation is a common spot rodents use to get inside, often without a homeowner ever noticing it is there. Once the shield goes on, that opening is sealed shut for good, not just covered up temporarily.

This is a permanent fix, and it is the kind of small detail that makes a real difference in keeping rodents out before they ever become a problem inside the house.

Have you ever spotted a gap like this around your home and wondered if it mattered? Comment RODENT below and we will check it out, and tag a neighbor whose place could use the same fix.

Blue Duck Pest Control proudly serves homeowners across Central Indiana with dependable, professionally applied pest treatment programs.

Just spotted one ant on your kitchen counter? Do not brush it off.

That single ant is called a scout, and its job is to find food and then lead the rest of the colony straight back to it. The moment it finds your kitchen, it starts laying down a scent trail, and thousands more ants can follow that exact path right through your door.

The good news is you have a short window to stop this before it becomes a real problem. Wipe down the area with soapy water to break up the scent trail the scout left behind, then track down and seal the entry point it used to get inside. Both steps matter, because skipping the seal just leaves the door open for the next scout to start a fresh trail.

Save this post for the day you spot that first ant, since that is the moment this actually makes a difference. Have you ever noticed one ant turn into a full line within a day or two? Tell us about it in the comments.

Blue Duck Pest Control proudly serves homeowners across Central Indiana with dependable, professionally applied pest treatment programs.

Ever noticed small bags hanging on your tree and assumed it was just debris? Take a closer look, those could be bagworms, and they can kill the tree.

Bagworms attach themselves to branches and needles and build a protective case out of the very plant material they are feeding on. From a distance, that case blends right in, it can look like a small pinecone or a scrap of dried leaf caught in the branches. Open one up, though, and you will find an actual worm living inside, which is exactly what is causing the damage to your tree.

Left untreated, a bagworm infestation can strip enough needles and foliage to kill evergreens and other susceptible trees, especially once the population builds up. The earlier they get caught and treated, the more of the tree can be saved.

Take a walk around your yard this week and check your trees for small hanging bags like the ones in this video. If you spot them, do not wait to have them looked at.

Comment BAGWORM below if you want us to take a look at your trees, and tag a neighbor whose trees might have the same problem.

Blue Duck Pest Control proudly serves homeowners across Central Indiana with dependable, professionally applied pest treatment programs.

Planning a cookout soon? Check your yard for this first.

Mosquitoes do not need a pond or a puddle to breed, a bottle cap of standing water is all it takes. Plant saucers, forgotten kids toys, upside down buckets, kiddie pools, and clogged gutters all hold just enough water to become a mosquito nursery without anyone noticing.

Dumping these out once a week breaks the breeding cycle before it starts. It is not a replacement for having your yard treated, the two work together. Treatment handles the mosquitoes already there, dumping standing water stops the next batch from ever hatching in the first place.

Take a few minutes this week and walk your yard looking for anything holding water after the last rain. If you find it, dump it, and get in the habit of checking again every few days.

Comment MOSQUITO below to get your yard treated before the next cookout, and tag whoever is hosting the next one.

Blue Duck Pest Control proudly serves homeowners across Central Indiana with dependable, professionally applied pest treatment programs.

What attracts cockroaches into your home the most?

Leftover food, warm weather, moisture in cardboard, or pet food. Take a guess before you keep reading. Here is why the answer catches so many homeowners off guard, cockroaches are drawn to moisture even more consistently than food, and damp cardboard sitting in a garage or basement creates the exact environment they look for to hide and reproduce. Food and pet food left out certainly do not help, but moisture control is often the missing piece in most prevention routines.

Comment your answer below and follow Blue Duck Pest Control to see if you got it right and to catch more pest prevention tips like this one.

This is what a bald faced hornet nest looks like after we treat it the right way.

That gray football shaped nest our tech is holding was packed with bald faced hornets. Watch to the end and you will see every one of them on the ground.

If you have never dealt with these, here is why they are no joke. Bald faced hornets are aggressive, they sting over and over, and they will come after you as a group the second they feel their nest is threatened. Knocking one down with a can from the hardware store usually just makes them angry and puts you in a bad spot.

Our team suits up head to toe, treats the nest directly, and makes sure the colony is gone before we ever take it down. No guessing and no half measures. Just the nest handled safely and your yard back to being yours.

We take care of nests like this all over Central Indiana, from Carmel, Fishers, and Noblesville to Westfield, Zionsville, Greenwood, Avon, and Brownsburg, plus the neighborhoods right around Indianapolis like Broad Ripple and Geist.

If you have spotted a nest in a tree, under an eave, in a shed, or tucked into your siding, do not wait for it to get bigger. Send us a message here or give us a call and we will get you on the schedule fast.

Comment NEST below or message us your city and we will tell you exactly how we can help.

What is a bagworm actually?

A worm, a beetle larva, a caterpillar that turns into a moth, or a type of spider. Take a guess before you keep reading. Here is why the name is so misleading, bagworms are actually caterpillars that build a protective case out of silk and bits of the plant they are feeding on, then eventually transform into a moth once they reach adulthood. The bag itself is what most people notice hanging from trees and shrubs, and it is easy to assume the insect inside matches the simple name. Left untreated, bagworms can cause serious damage to evergreens and other landscaping plants over a single season.

Comment your answer below and follow Blue Duck Pest Control to see if it fooled you too and to catch more pest identification tips like this one.

Where Should You Place Sticky Traps For Roaches?

Most homeowners place sticky traps in the wrong spot to catch cockroaches. Center of the kitchen, along walls and edges, inside cabinets only, or near windows, which one would you pick. Comment your answer and follow Blue Duck Pest Control to see if you got it right.

How small of a gap can a mouse actually squeeze through.

The answer surprises almost every homeowner, and it is the reason mice end up inside houses that look perfectly sealed.

Here is the quiz. Is it the size of a golf ball, the size of a quarter, the size of a dime, or the size of a pencil eraser. Take a second and lock in your guess before you scroll.

Most people pick a gap far too big, and that single mistake is why they seal the obvious openings while leaving the ones that actually let rodents in. Mice can flatten their bodies and push through openings that look impossibly small, which means the gaps around pipes, vents, door sweeps, and the foundation are exactly where prevention succeeds or fails.

Knowing the real answer changes how you walk around your own home. Suddenly the tiny gaps you ignored become the priority, and that is the difference between a one time mouse and a recurring problem all winter.

Drop your letter in the comments right now and I will reply with the correct answer. Let us see who gets it right. Follow for more rodent prevention tips and check the bio.