Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN Pest Control

Expert Pest Control Solutions For Minneapolis - St. Paul Homes

There's a lot to love about our Twin Cities but the benefits of city living combined with the Land of 10,000 Lakes isn’t just sought after by people, it’s also a welcome haven for pests of all kinds. Luckily, you can keep your Minneapolis - St. Paul home safe from invading pests with help from Quell Pest Control. We provide eco-friendly solutions to keep you, your family, and your pets both safe and pest-free. Whether you need help with an existing pest issue or you simply want to prevent them moving forward, we have a plan that will work for you. Call today to find out more.

Home Pest Control In Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN

front of a house in minneapolis minnesota

Your home is your refuge, but when a pest infestation moves in, it no longer feels like one. Pests create property damage, health hazards, and stress for homeowners. Luckily, for those of us in the Twin Cities, there’s Quell Pest Control.

At Quell Pest Control, we provide solution-oriented pest control that gets to the heart of your pest issues. From entry points to conducive conditions we inspect to find all of the factors that may be allowing pests into your home and then design a treatment and follow-up schedule to get pests out and keep them from coming back. Whether you have an existing infestation, or you simply want to make sure to keep pests out of your Minneapolis - St. Paul home, the professionals at Quell Pest Control can help.

Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN Homeowners Guide To Ant Prevention

Ants are one of those pests that are so common they almost seem inevitable. But if you’ve ever experienced an ant infestation, you know this is one pest that is better to keep under control. Ants are social insects that live in colonies and reproduce in great numbers. One or two may not seem to be that much of a problem until that one or two turns into thousands.

To keep ants out of your home try the following tips:

Limit access to food. Ants are looking for an easy meal and if you deny them by keeping your food stored in airtight containers, covering trash cans, and cleaning up spills they are far more likely to pass over your house in favor of easier pickings.
Eliminate excess water. Ants also need a source of water so repairing leaky pipes, addressing condensation issues, and using dehumidifiers can eliminate a major attraction.
Reduce entry points. Ants are looking for an easy way in and if they don’t find one they may just walk on by. You can minimize entry points by sealing cracks and crevices in your exterior walls or foundation with caulk, using weatherstripping on doors and windows, and installing door sweeps.

It may seem like a lot to do but these tips will go a long way toward keeping ants and other pests out of your home.

Three Things Everyone In Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN Ought To Know About Cockroaches

Sure you’ve heard of cockroaches, but how much do you really know about them? Here are the top three facts worth knowing about these dangerous pests.

Cockroaches are unwanted pests, but they are also dangerous creatures to have in your home. In addition to triggering allergies and asthma attacks, they can spread up to 33 kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms, and seven other kinds of human pathogens.
There are things you can do to prevent cockroaches in your home or business. Much like ants, cockroaches are looking for food, water, and shelter. The more you can limit those resources, the less likely cockroaches are to move into your space.
Yes, they really are that hard to kill. What sounds like myths or lore are really actually true in the case of cockroaches. These amazing insects can live for a week without their head, months without food, and are resistant to many pesticides, making them very difficult to fully eradicate.

If cockroaches have made their way into your Minneapolis - St. Paul home, let the professionals at Quell Pest Control come to the rescue. Give us a call today to find out more about our cockroach control options.

What Attracts Mosquitoes To Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN Properties

Unlike ants and cockroaches, it’s not your leftovers that mosquitoes come looking for but rather, it’s you. Mosquitoes bite both people and animals to get the nutrients they need to nourish their eggs. The other thing they need for this process is standing water. And it doesn’t take much. Mosquitoes can lay their eggs in marshes or ponds but just as easily in an untreated pool or hot tub or even an overturned child’s toy that got left in the yard in the rain.

If you have easy sources of water on your property and spend time outdoors, you are likely to come into contact with more than your fair share of mosquitoes. The other thing that mosquitoes are looking for is shady areas to rest. It’s a good idea to keep your landscaping well maintained to avoid areas that mosquitoes will find to be appealing shady spots to rest in the heat of the day.

You can reduce mosquito populations in your yard by limiting access to water and resting areas in the following ways:

Ensure gutters and other drainage systems are working properly.
Avoid overwatering gardens.
Fill in low-lying areas around your home.
Overturn items that collect rainwater such as children’s toys, wheelbarrows, etc.
Keep water in pools and hot tubs cycled and treated with the proper chemicals.
Maintain landscaping by mowing lawns frequently and keeping bushes and shrubs trimmed.

Making your property less appealing to mosquitoes is a good start, but some factors are out of our control as property owners. If you are having a hard time with mosquitoes on your Minneapolis - St. Paul property give the experts at Quell Pest Control a call and find out more about our mosquito control options.

Four Reasons To Keep Rodents Out Of Your Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN Home

Rodents are mammals and not uncommon pets for many children. However, there’s a big difference between a gerbil or a hamster rolling around in its exercise ball and a mouse or a rat running around inside your walls. Rodents are a pest you definitely don’t want to have in your Minneapolis - St. Paul home and here’s why.

Damage: Rodents by definition have front teeth that never stop growing, creating a constant need to chew. If it’s a pet this need can be met with a fresh supply of toys, but left to their own devices, rodents wreak havoc on area homes. From drywall to lumbar and drains to electrical wires, nothing in your home will be safe from this chewing once an infestation gets going.
Disease: Rodents are not safe for your home but they are also not safe to have around your family. They spread countless pathogens including hantavirus, salmonellosis, rat-bite fever, and leptospirosis. On top of that the droppings, urine, and saliva left behind by rodents can trigger allergies and asthma attacks.
Smell: Speaking of droppings and urine, it’s one thing to have a pet or two whose cage gets changed out regularly, but when rodents nest inside your walls their waste products build up and the smell can be overpowering and extremely hard to remove.
Reproduction: This smell is not made better over time as rodents reproduce with remarkable speed. A single mouse can give birth to 100 more in the course of a year and a rat up to 40. A small population can get out of hand in no time.

Don’t let rodents get the best of you or your Minneapolis - St. Paul home, just give the professionals at Quell Pest Control a call today to find out more about our rodent control options.

Most Common Places Spiders Hide In Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN

Most pests enter homes in search of our food scraps or to escape from unfavorable weather conditions, but not spiders. Spiders enter homes in search of their pest prey - other insects and bugs that they can hunt. They often hide in quiet, out-of-the-way areas such as:

Woodpiles
Cluttered areas
Under furniture
Door frames
Outbuildings
Ceiling corners

A spider here or there is not cause for concern, but if you are finding signs of spiders around your home in these areas on a regular basis then it is likely there is an underlying pest issue near your home. Quell Pest Control can identify what is drawing spiders to your Minneapolis - St. Paul home and treat the spiders as well as whatever is drawing them in. Call today or connect with us online to find out more about our residential pest control plans.

Should I Be Worried About Silverfish In My Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN Home?

For being one of the creepiest insect pests, silverfish are actually not known to spread diseases. When you see one of them wriggling their way across your countertop there’s no need to panic, but that doesn’t mean you need to put up with them either.

Silverfish get their name from these fishlike movements as well as their metallic coloring and teardrop shape. While they don’t carry the same health concerns as some other insect pests or threaten the structure of your home, they aren’t without issues. Left to their own devices, silverfish will infest paper-based products such as wallpaper, books, and files. They often go unnoticed for long periods of time and can lead to a surprising amount of damage.

While silverfish are extremely fast and expert hiders, you can look for signs of their presence such as damage to the edges of paper materials, yellow stains, or tiny black pepper-like pellets near infested areas. Silverfish thrive in moist, humid areas like basements and bathrooms. It’s important to use dehumidifiers in these areas, repair leaking plumbing, and discard water-damaged wood or other materials. For help controlling silverfish and other pest populations, call Quell Pest Control.

Mini-Guide To Avoiding Wasps In Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN

A wasp can put a hamper on a picnic but a wasp nest is a whole other story. Unlike bees, wasps can sting repeatedly and are often extremely protective of their nests and will often attack in swarms. Given the dangers of a wasp nest on your property and how difficult they are to remove, it’s worth putting a little effort into preventing them in the first place. To prevent wasps, it all comes down to the same three factors:

Food: Wasps are hungry and will go where food is most plentiful. It’s important to not leave food outside after eating. You’ll see wasps drawn to sweet drinks or watermelon but they are just as happy to dine on protein sources or even pet food. Remember too that wasps are a predator which means if your property is home to a large insect population, hunting wasps will be more likely to move in as well.
Water: Everyone needs water, and if you offer wasps easy access they will be more than happy to take advantage. Ensure your drainage is working properly and not allowing water to pool on your property, fix leaky plumbing, avoid overwatering, and treat hot tubs and pools with the correct chemicals.
Shelter: Wasps passing through on their way to somewhere else is not nearly as big of a problem as a nest on your property - so don’t give them a green light to start building. Wasps will take advantage of overgrown areas in your yard that provide shelter, as well as cracks or crevices in your building or gaps in your eves.

If, despite limiting these factors, you do end up with a wasp nest on your property, don’t hesitate to call the professionals. Attempting to remove a nest is likely to result in a swarm of angry wasps. The experts at Quell Pest Control have the tools and experience to remove wasp nests safely and ensure they don’t return. Call today to find out more about our stinging insect control options or to schedule a service for your home.