Common Black Ants are very small and black, two nodes, with workers all one size. Found throughout the U.S. Common Black Ants are one of the more common house-infesting ants. They nest in wall voids and under carpets. They sometimes build their nests under rocks, logs, debris, and forage to indoor sources along baseboards and carpet edges. They favor sweets, fats and oils.

Bed bugs feed exclusively at night on human blood. Those bitten may develop small, white to red hard welts at the bite site. These bites itch intensely. Bed bugs have an odor that is pronounced and in severe cases has been described as “obnoxious sweetness.” Bed bugs are found in all types of dwellings and transportation vehicles including homes, apartments, public housing, hotels, motels, movie theatres, buses, and trains. They will hide in box springs, mattresses, bed frames, couches, chairs, window and door moldings, behind wall paper and pictures, under carpet, cracks in the hardwood floors, wall voids, outlets, and luggage. Adult bed bugs measure approximately 1/5 inch in length by 1/8 inch in width. They are reddish-brown in color and typically oval and flattened in shape. After feeding, the abdomen becomes engorged giving the bed bug a somewhat elongated appearance. The head bears piercing-sucking mouthparts which enable bed bugs to pierce the skin and retrieve blood from their hosts. Eggs are white approximately 1/32 inch long. The female lay between 200 to 500 eggs during their lifetime. The eggs hatch in six to 17 days. Adult bed bugs can live 10 months or more without food (blood). In one case, a female bed bug survived for more than 560 days without food. Adults generally travel 15 to 20 feet, or less, from their harborage site.

Roaches are known to inhabit moist areas, but can survive in dry areas if they have access to water. They prefer warm temperatures around 84 degrees Fahrenheit and do not tolerate cold temperatures. In residential areas cockroaches live in basements and sewers, and may move outdoors into yards during warm months. Commonly the cockroach is found in basements, crawl spaces, cracks and crevices of porches, foundations, walkways, trash piles, and within the living spaces of your home.

Size: Up to 2 inches long.
Color: Reddish brown
General Information: It’s the largest cockroach that infests homes and buildings in the U.S. It’s nicknamed the ‘Water Bug.’ It thrives in warm dark and damp places.

Size: ½ inches in length.
Color: Tan brown-looks identical to the German cockroach.
General Information: Lives predominantly outdoors. It however can be seen flying towards a television or other light source.

Size: ½ inches in length.
Color: Light brown The female may have dark brown wings. Both sexes however have the lighter-colored bands running across the wings directly behind the prothorax.
General Information: This species prefers to spend much of its time resting in cracks and voids. Most of its activity occurs at night. They can be found in bathrooms and kitchens. However they can also be found in dryer areas such as bedrooms, living rooms, closets, bookcases, etc…

Size: ½ inches in length.
Color: Brown
General Information: The German cockroach is the most prolific breeder among all cockroaches. Each egg capsule can contain 40 eggs and development from egg to adult can occur in as little as 45 days. It is omnivorous and will eat virtually anything people leave behind. It inhabits bathrooms, kitchens, or anywhere within close proximity of a food and water source.

Size: One inch in length.
Color: Female is dark black while the male has two brown wings.
General Information: The female differs in appearance from the male which leads homeowners to believe that they have two different types of roaches. The oriental cockroach is a pest in homes throughout much of the U.S. During the summer, they move outdoors where they may venture into neighboring buildings. During the colder months, they re-infest homes, establishing themselves in basements and crawl spaces. Eliminating potential harborages outside is a must for pest control. Seal cracks, install screens on ventilation openings, and remove trash or debris from the perimeter of the home.

Size: 1 ½ inches in length.
Color: Dark mahogany brown.
General Information: A ready flier that easily travels from trees to houses. It is commonly attracted to homes with improperly maintained trash containers and pet food on patios and decks. The smoky brown cockroach usually invades attic or crawl spaces.

Size: Tiny, round beetles with larvae that grow up to ¼ inch in length.
Color: While generally tan in color, they are covered by tiny black, brown, and white scales.
They are considered fabric pests and can cause damage to natural fiber products like wool, silk, cashmere, and carpeting.

Size: 3/8 inch long
Color: Cream, with red hairs on the top of the head. Larvae are white in color.
They are found on fabrics and cause damage to personal belongings. Clothes moths tend to stay confined near clothing, which makes them easier to control.

Certain crickets invade homes and become a pest by their presence. Homeowners complain of their chirping, which can be annoying especially at night. Indoors some crickets can feed on a wide variety of fabrics, foods, and paper products: Cotton, linen, wool, rayon, nylon, silk, furs, wallpaper, and glue from book bindings.

The northern or paper wasp is about ¾ to 1-inch long, slender, narrow waisted with long legs and reddish-orange to dark brown or black color. They have yellowish markings on the abdomen. Their nests are paper-like structures, shaped like tiny umbrellas, which are suspended by a short stem attached to eaves, window frames, porches, ceilings, attic rafters, etc… Their sting is painful.

There are many different species of pantry pests. If you notice small, flying, moth like, insects in your kitchen you may have a pantry pest infestation. Remove all items from your pantry and place them on a table. Examine each product for webbing, dead insects, or live insects inside grains, rice, cereals, flower products etc… Dispose of all suspected infestations and seal all other non contaminated products in air-tight containers. Following this process our technician will treat all areas of the pantry to kill and repel any remaining pests.

Fleas are small, hard-bodied wingless insects with a flattened body and legs adapted for jumping onto a host. Humans are often attacked when other food sources aren’t available. Their bite leaves a red, itchy spot on the skin. Their saliva is irritating to the host, causing dermatitis and hair loss in allergic animals. A bad flea infestation can quickly cover both your household pet and your home.

Control begins with treating all infested areas such as yards, pet bedding, interior carpeted and hard surfaces, as well as crack and crevices with a growth inhibitor and residual pesticides. Pets should be simultaneously treated with powders, flea dips, or other vet recommended control methods.

When the family dog picks up a tick it is usually the brown dog tick or American dog tick. Both multiply rapidly. The female of either variety may lay 5,000 to 8,000 eggs. Indoor infestations are most likely with the brown dog tick. The tick normally prefers indoor warmth and shelter to live out its life cycle. The female lays her eggs in crevices, behind baseboards, under the edge of carpets or in similar hiding places. The insect attaches itself to the host (human or animal) and sucks its blood until it engorges itself. Sometimes the tick will fall off the host and seek a safe place to lay her eggs.

The roof rat is a blackish (or brownish), medium-sized, slender rat with a long, naked, scaly tail: The tail his usually longer than the head and body. Average length, 14 inches; tail, 7.5 inches; hind foot, 1.4 inches> Weight, up to ¾ pound. Roof rats live in close association with man. They inhabit warehouses, feed stores, poultry houses, and are very common in cotton gins associated with grain. They frequently are found above ground in attics, along pipes, beams, wires, or ceilings joists. They often leave a dark-colored layer of grease and dirt to mark their travel ways. The roof rat is highly nocturnal and rarely seen in the daytime. They feed on a wide variety of food: grains, meats, and almost any item that has nutritional value.

Similar to the roof rat but larger and chunkier; tail shorter than length of head and body. External measurements average: total length, 18 inches; tail, 8 inches; hind food, 2 inches. Weight, 14-18 oz. The Norway or brown rat lives both in close association with man, commonly found in basements, on the ground floor, or in burrows under sidewalks or outbuildings. They feed on a variety of food such as grains, eggs, young chickens, and household food items. They even have been known to kill lambs and young pigs.

The house mouse is a small, scaley-tailed mouse with a distinct notch in the cutting surface of its upper incisors; hair short; ears moderately large and naked; tail and body brownish. Although native to North America the house mouse, since its early accidental introduction at seaport towns, has becomes a widespread pest throughout the United States. Within a home, mice live in close association with man. Where conditions permit they can be found in fields, dense vegetation, irrigation ditches, feed storage areas, attic spaces, or other hiding places. They are moderately active during the day chiefly in their quest for food. They will eat plant material, seeds, alfalfa, rice, grain, or other household food items. The house mouse can have as many as 13 litters in one year. The average young per litter is 6.

Mites are parasites on birds and are usually found on the birds or in their nests. Thus, under normal circumstances, bird mites go unnoticed. However, on occasion, bird mites wander away from the bird nests and are found indoors as accidental invaders.

Migration by bird mites is common in late spring when the baby birds are leaving the nest. Mites that migrate away from the nests may be found anywhere in houses and buildings, but are most abundant in the vicinity of nests that were built on or in the house. Sparrows, starlings and pigeons are the birds most often associated with bird mite infestations in buildings.

Bird mites can bite humans but are not a health threat. They are mostly a nuisance and annoyance. Bird mites do not attack nor harm stored foods, plants or household furnishings. They will probably infest pet birds.

Finding and eliminating bird nests on and in the house or building is the first step in bird mite control. This can be followed by spraying residual insecticides in the area of the bird nest as well as in the vicinity of where the invaders have been most noticed.

Color & Size: Body may be up to ¾ inch in length with the abdomen reaching 3/8 inch in diameter. They are typically glossy black but may also be dark brown to light brown. The red markings on the underside of the abdomen often connect to form an hourglass shape. The black widow spider is widely feared because of its painful bite. They typically nest at ground level and bites normally occur when people are picking up an item under which the spider is hiding.