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Happy New Year!!

We would like to wish you and your family a very Happy New Year from all of us at Morgan Termite & Pest Control! We hope you have a great New Years!

-Morgan Termite & Pest Control

Merry Christmas!!

We would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas from all of us at Morgan Termite & Pest Control! We hope you have a fun and safe Christmas!

-Morgan Termite & Pest Control

There are many different types of spiders in Southern Utah. However, the most common spiders seen in Southern Utah would be Black Widow Spiders, Wolf Spiders, and Camel Spiders (aka Wind Scorpions or Sun Spiders). The weather in Southern Utah is getting a little colder and the spiders are looking for a warm place to stay. Make sure your home is ready for spiders invading by setting up an appointment with Morgan Termite & Pest Control today at (435) 673-9172. Each spider lives differently and needs different things to survive but most spiders don’t like the cold. 

Black Widow Spider: The black widow spiders are the most venomous spiders in North America. The females are the most commonly seen and can be identified by being all black with a red hourglass on the bottom of their abdomen. The females are the most poisonous as well and can be potentially fatal. They are called black widows due to their nasty habit of killing their males after mating though upon rare occasions they don’t eat them but only when they have been well fed beforehand. Male black widow spiders tend to select their mates by determining if the female has eaten already  to avoid being eaten themselves. They are able to tell if the female has fed by sensing chemicals in the web. Their webs are almost always built close to the ground and mostly on block walls. They are only active at night and should be avoided. They are a very skittish and shy spider unless there is an egg sac present.


Wolf Spiders: Wolf Spiders are ambush spiders, they don’t usually build webs and can be found roaming on the sidewalks at night. Wolf Spiders are wanderers without permanent homes. They are often found living in man made locations like, sheds and different outdoor equipment. They aren’t poisonous though and will only bite if handled. They are large brown and grey spiders that are more commonly found throughout the summer. Females carry their young on their backs and can still be active hunters. Wolf spiders are considered the only type of spider to carry their newborn spiders for weeks after they are born until they are big enough to go on their own. Wolf spiders have eight eyes and are considered to have the third best eyesight out of spiders, only beaten by jumping spiders and huntsman spiders. 

Camel Spiders (aka Wind Scorpions or Sun Spiders): Yes we do have camel spiders here in Utah, this spider goes by several names such as camel spider, wind scorpion, sun spider, and even vinegaroon. This spider is highly aggressive and not meant to be trifled with. It is a larger spider and is luckily not venomous, though the bite is highly painful and some people complain of a vinegar taste in their mouths. They are light colored spiders, mostly tan with some brown on the abdomen. Even though they are called spiders and scorpions they aren’t really either of those. They are just similar to those in the way they look and the things they do to survive. This species goes by many different names.

Everyone loves having a great holiday break and spending time with family and friends but did you count on the extra pests coming into your home for the holiday celebrations? No one ever wants extra unwanted guests in their home, especially when you already have guests that you love having in your home. Everyone just wants to have a worry free holiday with their friends and family. Below are 5 ways pest control can make your holidays merrier and keep those unwanted guests away:

  • Keep your Kitchen Clean- The holidays are times where most people spend their time cooking and baking. Always make sure you clean up your kitchen every time after you are done cooking or baking. Pests, mostly ants, can smell the littlest piece of food and come in to find it. Also make sure that you properly seal off all opened food, whether its canned food, bagged food, or your yummy leftovers. 
  • Keep your firewood stacks away from your home- It’s cold outside and a lot of people use this time of year to have fires going inside their homes. Yes, some don’t need wood but others are wood burning fireplaces. If you do use firewood, keep it stored away from your house and try to keep it covered the best you can. Pests like to stay warm and will make their own homes in your stacks of firewood. 
  • No bed bugs- Guests at your home over the holidays can be hard but you love them and always have the best time. However, there are times when you need a break and everyone needs their own beds. Well you don’t want any of those beds to have bed bugs do you? Keep your sheets clean and use regular pest control services to help keep the bed bugs away. 
  • Know where your tree comes from- Decorating a Christmas tree for the holidays is one of the biggest traditions that most people love to do with their families. However, if you don’t know where that tree comes from you could be bringing pests into your home without even knowing. If you don’t know where your tree is coming from make sure to shake the tree out and inspect it for any pests before bringing it into your home. 
  • Use regular pest control services- It can be kind of embarrassing when your guests come over and they keep finding pests around your house. And you don’t want your kids, Christmas Morning, running around chasing roaches or other pests instead of chasing their toys. Everyone just wants to enjoy their holidays with their friends and family and not have to worry about unexpected and unwelcome guests. Call Morgan Pest Control today to schedule services! (435)673-9172

 

Morgan Termite & Pest Control was first started by H. Ray Morgan. Ray originally worked for Dewey Pest in California before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1948. While running pest control services out of his car, he held a part time job as a chef, Ray gradually built up enough of a clientele to support opening office, and in 1955 the first Morgan Pest Control office opened serving the greater Las Vegas area. 

Ray Morgan’s business grew very rapidly, due to his insistence on maintaining quality service for a reasonable price. So in 1962 Tay was able to open a branch office in St. George, Utah. Getting his entire family involved in maintaining the business helped to keep a strong familial atmosphere and excellent family values. Through all this dedication Morgan is now a leading pest control company throughout Southern Utah and Southern Nevada. 

Upon Ray’s death in 1984 the St. George location, which serves all areas, except the greater Las Vegas area, was passed on to Don Warner. 

In 2005, Don Warner retired and sold his St. George operation to Dave Kipp. Dave has been in the pest control industry since 1991 in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. After a couple of years he decided to venture out on his own and started Dead Aim Pest Control in 1995. He relocated his family to the St. George area and purchased Morgan Termite & Pest Control in April 2005. His philosophies of great customer service and the best technology in the business will be a continued success in the pest control industry.

In April of 2019 Morgan Termite & Pest Control’s St. George location bought the huge metal spider that was on display in the roundabout on main street. The first time Dave drove by that spider on main street he knew that he had to buy it and bring it down to the office. Well that didn’t happen right away. The days after they took that spider down Dave drove by and noticed that the spider was gone. He thought he had missed his chance to buy it. Well within the next few weeks he had made calls to the city and anyone else he thought would know if the spider had been bought. He came to find out that the city has an artist that puts their art up around the city for a certain amount of time and if it sells while on display the city gets some of the profit. Well the time had come to switch out the spider with something new and the spider was taken down and stored away. Dave finally found the artist and started the process to buy the spider and move it down to the office. 

Even though Morgan bought the spider in April it was stored in our  warehouse until we were able to set it up just under our sign. It was finally set up on May 8, 2019. Dave had finally got the spider down to his office. It is the perfect fit to go with what we do. However, we came up with a problem when people started visiting us. The one question that we always got asked was, “What’s the name of your spider?”. Well, thanks to the people of our town and others that we service in, they came up with names and then everyone voted on their favorite name. We now have a name for the spider. Her name is Dixie Long Legs. We love the name and now we are able to answer that question. 

Due to the dedication, hard work, and customer service values of Morgan Termite & Pest Control has become a major success in Southern Utah. At the helm of this company is Dave Kipp, constantly giving back to the community in the form of donating time and resources to local schools and organizations.

Morgan Termite & Pest Control is the largest pest control company available in the Southern Utah area and serves a majority of both commercial and residential customers. It is the intention, no, the mission of Morgan Termite & Pest Control to continue the growth of this company by adhering to the standards, quality service, and reasonable pricing.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We would like to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Morgan Termite & Pest Control! We hope you have a fun and safe Thanksgiving!

-Morgan Termite & Pest Control

There are two different types of termites that live in Southern Utah, Subterranean and Drywood Termites. These pests will destroy the wood on your home and it is important to inspect your home and property thoroughly for proper identification is the main key to control these pests. The process to treat these different kinds of termites is different for each type of termite and is very important to perform the proper treatment. 

Subterranean Termites:

These termites live underground and will build tunnels, referred to as mud tubes, to reach food sources. Like most other termite species, they feed on products that contain cellulose. Subterranean termites swarm in the spring, when groups of reproductive termites go off to start new colonies. Subterranean termites need contact with the soil to survive and live underground. They can build tunnels through cracks in concrete to reach the wood structures of you home. 

Drywood Termites:

Unlike subterranean termites, Drywood termites don’t need contact with soil to survive or any other water source. Drywood termites live in dry wood, hence their name, that may be above ground level. Drywood termites build colonies in structural wood, fence and utility posts, furniture, moldings, door and window frames, and so forth. Because termite workers can be difficult to identify, species are often determined based on geographical locations, location of colony, and/or type of wood damage. Most often homeowners find these termites by the piles of debris found in window seals and under location of infestation.

Termite Prevention Tips:

  • Eliminate or reduce moisture in and around the home, which termites need to thrive.
  • Repair leaking faucets, water pipes, and exterior AC units. 
  • Repair soffits and rotted roof shingles.
  • Replace weather stripping and loose mortar around basement foundation and windows.
  • Divert water away from the house through properly functioning downspouts, gutters, and splash blocks.
  • Routinely inspect the foundation of a home for signs of mud tubes, or uneven/bubbling paint and wood that sounds hollow when tapped. 
  • Monitor all exterior areas of wood, including windows, door frames and skirting boards for any noticeable changes. 
  • Maintain an 18-inch gap between the soil and any wood portions of your home.
  • Consider scheduling a professional inspection annually. Wood-boring insect damage is not covered by homeowners’ insurance policies.
  • Store firewood at least 20 feet away from your home. 

Signs of Termites:

  • Quiet clicking sounds coming from the walls
  • Flying termites/ swarming termites
  • If you see White Ants (they aren’t ants they are most likely termites)
  • Hollow sounding wood when tapped on 
  • Mud tubes

Call Us:

If for any reason you feel you have termites in your home, please call and schedule an appointment so a Morgan technician can come and properly identify and solve any issues that are found. Don’t wait as the problem could get worse over time. If you have the littlest thought that you have termites call us at (435)673-9172.

Mice in Southern Utah? There are many different kinds of mice that live in southern Utah. Some of those include: Field Mice, White-Footed Mice, and Pack Rats. Field Mice live mostly in fields, hence the name. If you are building in what used to be a field, you could end up with field mice in your building. White-Footed Mice, can cause a virus that can be fatal to humans, that virus is called Hanta-virus. It is spread through their feces. These mice like to burrow in the ground to make their nests and are found mostly outdoors. Pack Rats are gray in color with white on their bellies, they can cause immense amounts of damage and are found often in rural areas. 

Rats found in southern Utah are the Black Rat (Rattus Rattus) and the Brown Rat (Rattus Norvegicus). The group is generally known as the Old World rats or true rats, and originated in Asia. Rats are bigger than most Old World Mice, which are their relatives, but seldom weigh over 500 grams (1 lb) in the wild. 

SIMILARITIES:

Mice and Rats are mostly color blind and have a sense of smell that is four times greater than that of a dog. Mice and Rats have many similarities including: they are both mostly nocturnal, they are usually the same colors (white, grey, brown, or black), they both have long tails, and they both have whiskers. There are many other similarities between mice and rats. 

DIFFERENCES:

Mice and Rats are not all that similar to each other. There are many differences between each of them including: most mice are a lot smaller than rats, rats will live longer than mice, rats have bigger ears than mice, mice will produce almost double the amount of droppings than rats do, mice have weaker teeth than rats, and mice trouts are more triangular than rats are. 

SIGNS:

If you are seeing or hearing any of the following signs that are given you may have mice or rats living with you in your home:

  • Droppings
  • Urine Odors
  • Gnawed Holes
  • Rodent Runways
  • Rodent Nestings
  • Rub & Gnaw Marks
  • Scampering Noises
  • Unusual Pet Behavior

HOW WE CAN HELP:

If you have seen any of the signs that were mentioned above around your house then give us a call and we will send out one of our trained and licenced technicians to get their expert opinion on whether you have mice or rats living with you. We can get rid of them for you so that you don’t have extra animals living at your home. 

Do you know where insects go during the winter to keep warm? You may also be wondering why you get more ants in your home in the winter? Well the weather affects insects differently all year round. 

Temperature and moisture are the biggest factors that affect insects. Most insects do hide away during the winter, however if the temperature goes back and forth between freezing and thawing then this could result in the insects coming out earlier. 

Ants and insects will come into your home at any season, but at certain times the activity could increase.

Winter

Winter months is a time of hibernation and survival for pests. The pests don’t like the cold weather and have a hard time surviving if it gets too cold. The cold weather forces pests to find their own shelters and homes. Some pests will look for shelter outdoors, while others will look for shelter indoors. To keep pests out of your home during the winter you need to prepare during the fall. 

Spring

With the weather warming, pests are starting to come out of their warm shelters. The spring rain will flood the ants homes and force them to look for new ground higher up. Spring is the time that most insects are awakening and mating. Spring is also the beginning of swarming season for termites. A lot of pests will start to move outdoors during the spring in search of mates. 

Summer

During the summer while you are having your backyard parties with everyone, the pests are looking to join in on the fun. However, that is probably not your idea of fun. During the summer months the insects are out more because of the hotter weather. Bees, wasps, and other stinging insects are more active during the summer because of the moisture from the spring months. 

Fall

Fall is a time of preparation for a lot of pests to get ready for the cold winter months coming up. There are a couple common fall bugs that are looking to invade your home during the fall months. Some of these fall bugs include ladybugs, box elders, and spiders. During fall months it is the best time to prepare your home from all the pests looking to come inside for the winter months. 

Rainy Weather

The more it rains during the spring and summer, the more ants you will find in your home. When it rains a lot, the rain will flood the ants homes and then they will come looking for a dry place to live, like your home. Most of the time they will come in an army of ants to find a new home.

Dry Weather

If there is a drought or a long dry period the ants will also come into your home. Most of the time however they aren’t looking for a place to live. The dry weather messes up their food supply and they are in need of finding a new source of food. They might even move their homes closer to yours so that they have faster and easier access to your food. However, you probably won’t see as many ants as you would during rainy weather. 

Getting Ready

Don’t chance the fact that during the winter pests won’t come into your homes. Ongoing yearly pest control services will keep them out. Keep your food stored in airtight containers and keep your kitchen clean of all crumbs, even the ones you can’t see. Call Morgan Pest Control to start pest control service at your home. 

You just got back from a nice family vacation and you come into the kitchen to find ants… All over the kitchen, mostly coming out around your sink. This is the last thing you want to deal with just getting off vacation. You could always find some DIY options to try and get rid of them or you could call Morgan Pest Control and have our trained techs come out to get rid of them for you. Here are some tips that will make it not only easier on our techs but it could have a better chance at keeping the ants away after we have left. 

Preparing for Ant Control Services:

Prior to arriving at your home most companies will leave you with a few steps to complete before the techs get to your house. These steps are there to make it the safest place we can while we are treating the ants and to make our techs job easier. For these reasons most companies will not treat areas that were not properly prepared beforehand.  

  1. Wipe counters, sweep floors, and clean up any spills that are in the kitchen to reduce the ants food source. 
  2. Vacuum the floors to pick up ALL the crumbs, especially the ones you can’t see.
  3. Store all your food in pest-proof containers.
  4. Empty trash regularly.
  5. Wash dishes and/or run the dishwasher regularly.
  6. Never leave any pet food out after the pet has finished eating. 
  7. If you recycle always rinse containers out thoroughly.
  8. Be prepared to answer any questions that the techs may have, including where you have been seeing the ants or where they have been in the past. 

After the Pest Control Service:

  • Be patient. The bait will not immediately kill the ants, the bait will take time to kill the ants. Baiting is the best way to get rid of the entire colony of ants. 
  • Do not spray any insecticides or kill any ants that you see. The ants that you will see, need to continue eating the bait and taking it back to the colony. Do not kill them, they will die on their own. 
  • Avoid using any strong cleaners, especially near any of the bait. You could get rid of the ants pheromone trail that the rest of the ants are using to find the bait. 
  • Leave all the ants that are heading towards or away from the bait alone. They will bring some of the bait back to the queen the queen will also die from the bait.