This Blog was posted for you By Your San Antonio Pest Control Services – Jenkins Pest and Lawn
Pest Control – Common Household Pests
Moths
Moths are insects. Adult moths have wings and fly. Most damage is done by larvae (wormlike immature moths). Common types: Indian Meal Moth larvae eat and spoil a variety of grains and other foods. Clothes Moth larvae eat some materials, especially if already damaged.
Spiders
Spiders have eight legs and two main body parts: head and abdomen. They cannot fly. All spiders eat insects. and are pests in structures when their webs become annoying or when they bite in self-defense. Some will defend their eggs. Baby spiders look like miniature adults. More on this website @ https://jenkinspest.com/residential-pest-control/
Spiders are pests for some people because of their appearance and messy webs. They are valuable predators of other pests. Often, vacuuming, good housekeeping practices, and the use of screens can eliminate their prey and thus reduce their numbers. Low humidity is also beneficial to reducing the number of spiders.
If spiders are a concern, please contact us for an inspection and possible treatment to control these pests.
Brown Recluse Spider – a spider that’s around 1 inch long including legs, and is sometimes found inside, usually in and under piles of belongings. For this reason is a good idea to wear protective clothing, such as gloves and long sleeves, and pants when cleaning out basements and other storage areas, and ductwork. Brown recluse spiders can be found in piles of wood and for this reason, care should be taken in handling firewood.
Fleas
Fleas will bite humans, dogs, and other mammals in addition to cats. There are effective flea treatments for pets, but if a household pet is treated, and the house is not treated, the fleas may become a very irritating pest for the resident humans. Professional treatment of the house, coordinated with the treatment of pets is highly recommended. Several treatments might be necessary for complete eradication.
Ticks
The dog tick is the most common tick inside human structures. Deer ticks, which are smaller carry Lyme disease.
Ticks usually come in on pets or clothing and do not usually reproduce inside. However, they can carry diseases and some people are allergic to their bites. There are effective treatments to prevent tick infestation of pets, and these should be used. Clothing and backpacks should be examined for ticks during tick season, and people should inspect themselves after walks in rural areas to make sure they haven’t picked up ticks.
Beetles
Beetles have their wings hidden beneath a covering that can be colorful.
Powder post beetles are small beetles that bore into wood and, when present in large numbers, can weaken structural wood. They make small holes in the wood, but the presence of holes does not necessarily mean there is an active infestation. Professional inspection and treatment are needed.
Old house beetles sometimes make their presence known by chewing noises that can be heard by people, especially at night. They make small holes in wood. Professional inspection and treatment are needed.
Carpet beetle larvae damage carpets and other materials. The damage is similar to that of the clothes moth, but treatment is different. Good housekeeping and frequent vacuuming are useful for prevention. Professional treatment is advised if there is a visible infestation.
Various types of small beetles infest stored grain and other dry foods such as pasta. Some also eat dried plant material. All damaged food should be put in plastic bags (to prevent spread) and discarded outside. The storage area should be cleaned thoroughly. Grain beetles often come into a house on or inside packaged food. Some grain beetles can bore through most packaging materials.
Ladybugs
Ladybugs are usually not a problem. There are several types of ladybugs, and they vary in color and number of spots. They can become a pest when they gather in large numbers inside a structure. They do no harm, but it can be frightening to see such large numbers of this “cute” bug inside a bedroom!
Bedbugs
Bedbugs have no wings and cannot fly. They are light to dark brown and up to 1/3 inch. They look a little like small ticks but have only six legs (ticks have eight). Bedbugs bite mainly at night. They feed on animal blood and the common bedbug prefers humans, but will also feed on dogs, cats, and other warm-blooded animals. Some people do not notice the bites, but other people become allergic and the bites can be itchy and cause much misery and loss of sleep. Bites can become infected, but bedbugs are not thought to carry disease. Bedbugs need professional treatment.
Batbugs
Batbugs are similar to bedbugs and will bite people. They are found in places where bats nest, and if the bats are removed from a human dwelling, they will seek new victims. Therefore, it is important to remove and treat areas where bats have nested. These pests need professional treatment, which is the same as for bedbugs.
Boxelder Bugs
Boxelder bugs are about 1/2 inch long and black with distinct red markings. They do no damage but can be very annoying when they enter a home because of the loud noise they make when attracted to lamps.
Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees look similar to bumblebees. They are large and fly slowly. They can do a lot of damage to wood.
The female drills neat round holes about the size of a dime in the wood of siding and fascia, sometimes high off the ground. Then, she drills nest galleries at a 90 deg angle to the hole, parallel to the grain of the wood. She lays eggs and provisions them with food for the hatching larvae. The galleries damage the wood, which eventually needs replacement. Females can sting, but usually do not bother people.
Male carpenter bees often buzz around the nests and dive-bomb people near the nest. Males cannot sting but can be very annoying. Their abdomens are a distinctive shiny black on the end, and their thick black legs dangle down. Females can sting but usually don’t bother people.
Carpenter bees prefer bare, somewhat damaged wood so painting wood and replacing damaged wood deters them. Professional help is recommended to get rid of carpenter bees.
Wasps
Unlike bees, wasps are predators and do valuable work by killing many pest insects. However, some are also attracted to human food and both them and their nests can be very annoying. Common wasps are paper wasps (also called umbrella wasps), mud dauber wasps, bald-faced hornets, and yellowjackets.
Earwigs
Earwigs are harmless, but these one-inch insects are scary looking because of the big pinschers on their abdomens (these are used to fend off ants that attack them from the rear). Earwigs are attracted by light and so can be a nuisance when they blunder into a house and fly around lamps. Screens, sealing doors, and windows are good prevention.
Sow Bugs
Sow bugs are small segmented crustaceans with many legs (distantly related to lobsters and shrimp). They like dampness and are found in damp debris. They sometimes come into cellars and other damp places from the outside. They do no harm, and dehumidifying can help control them. Removal of debris and mulch from around the structure can keep them from coming inside easily.
Pill Bugs
Pill bugs are similar to sow bugs but curl up into a round “pill” when touched. They can be controlled in the same way as sow bugs.
Silverfish
Silverfish are soft-bodied insects that have no wings. They live in damp places and damage paper and other stored materials and some food. Good housekeeping and prevention of dampness can help control these pests.
