Common Signs of a Carpenter Ant Infestation

December 5, 2022. Posted by Holt Myers in Ant Control, Pest Control • Austin

If you’ve seen what look like ants with black tails and reddish-brown heads around your home, you may be dealing with a carpenter ant infestation. Carpenter ants are annoying pests in homes because they chew through wood. This causes structural damage that can be a nuisance to fix. If you have a carpenter ant infestation, it should be addressed quickly.

Signs of Carpenter Ants In Your Home

What are the common signs of a carpenter ant infestation? First, you might notice ants themselves. Their bodies are reddish-brown or black in color and up to a quarter-inch to a half-inch in length. Most people see carpenter ants in places with a ready water source, like the kitchen or bathroom. Carpenter ants swarm in spring, usually after a warm rain. Swarmers are reproductive ants with wings. You might see the winged ants or the wings they shed after swarming out of the nest to … Read Full Post »

Signs of a Mouse Infestation

October 11, 2022. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Rodent & Wildlife • San Antonio

Do you have a sneaking suspicion that there is a population of mice in your home even though you haven’t actually seen a mouse yet? Your fears are not unjustified.

Mice are nocturnal and are most active at night. It’s rare to see them during the day, even if you have a large mouse infestation in your home. The best way to spot a mouse problem is to notice the signs they leave behind.

Many homeowners report that they have found mouse droppings but no mouse. Droppings, loose nesting materials, a musky smell and other signs indicate that your home has a mouse infestation. You should contact a rodent control specialist as soon as you notice the signs.

The Most Common Signs of a Mouse Infestation

Mice are nocturnal animals, so they are most active between dusk and dawn. Mice do sometimes come out during the day, but it’s rare. Instead, there are other … Read Full Post »

Do Bird Feeders Attract Rats?

October 7, 2022. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Rodent & Wildlife

Many people love to watch the birds that come to their yards. They set out feeders to make life a little easier for these much-loved animals and encourage many different types of birds to visit. But, can bird feeders attract other, less desired wildlife species? For example, do bird feeders attract rats? Unfortunately, the answer is yes: Bird feeders can and do attract rats to your yard.

Rats living in the wild feed on all sorts of things. They are scavengers and opportunistic omnivores. This means they will eat whatever they can find, whether it is plant or animal matter. Their primary food source in the wild tends to be fruits, nuts and seeds. This is why the seeds in bird feeders are a big draw for these pests.

Rats are also excellent climbers. Even if you hang a bird feeder in a tree or high-up spot, rats can easily climb up … Read Full Post »

Do Mice Usually Go Upstairs?

September 30, 2022. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Rodent & Wildlife • Corpus Christi

Are you hearing the sound of mice scurrying through your walls at night? Mice are excellent climbers, so it’s natural for homeowners to wonder: Do mice usually go upstairs?

While mice can easily climb and jump their way to tall heights, it’s important to understand their habits and why they might be motivated to go to the upper stories of your home. It’s additionally important to know the habits, appearance and diet of brown mice so that you can deal with a house mouse infestation right away.

Finally, this guide will walk you through how to mouse-proof your house. Keep in mind that the best way to deal with mice is to enlist the help of a pest control specialist.

Do Mice Usually Go Upstairs?

Mice are excellent runners, climbers and jumpers, so they can easily go upstairs in a home. In fact, mice can jump as high as one foot, which is nearly … Read Full Post »

Earwig Versus Termite: Which Pest Do I Have?

September 21, 2022. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Termite Control • San Antonio

Do you know the difference between an earwig and a termite? These two pests are often mistaken for each other, but they are extremely different in appearance and habits.

As a homeowner, it’s valuable to tell these insects apart so that you know what to do when you spot one of them in or around your home. While earwigs can become an annoyance, they do not pose the same threat to your home’s structure as termites.

If you spot termites or some signs of termites, it’s wise to contact a pest control professional. The faster you catch an infestation, the less damage it can do to your home. This guide will also break down two common signs of termites in your home: termites coming out of walls and termite tunnels on walls.

Earwig Appearance and Habits

Earwigs and termites may look similar to an untrained eye; however, they have quite a few physical distinctions. … Read Full Post »

How Many Mice in a Nest?

September 20, 2022. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Rodent & Wildlife • Bryan-College Station

Has a mouse made its home in your house? One furry little mouse may not seem like a huge problem; however, mice reproduce rapidly. A small colony can quickly turn into dozens of mice in your home in a matter of weeks.

Mice carry diseases, cause property damage and can invade your kitchen. To safeguard your home against a mouse infestation, it’s important to know about their life cycles and habits. Keep reading to learn how many mice live in a nest, what food attracts mice and how to keep mice away.

If you spot a mouse in your home or hear them at night, contact a rodent control specialist right away. Catching these unwelcome guests early is the best way to prevent them from taking over your home.

How Many Mice in a Nest?

Up to two dozen mice can live in a nest at a time. Mice have prolific breeding habits, which … Read Full Post »

House Mouse: Identification & Control Tips

September 16, 2022. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Rodent & Wildlife • Austin

A house mouse may look cute and fluffy, but an infestation in your home is not something to take lightly. House mice carry dangerous diseases that can harm humans and pets. They can also cause severe property damage both indoors and outdoors.

It’s important to know how to identify a house mouse from other mice species so that you can deal with the problem correctly. This guide will break down their appearance and how they differ from other types of mice species.

Additionally, let’s discuss how to control a house mouse problem and prevent the annoyance from returning. Since house mice can cause outdoor property damage and destroy your gardens, this guide will also go over how to keep them out of your beds.

Finally, you’ll learn about an interesting method that mice use when they feel threatened: playing dead.

As a homeowner, learning about the behavioral patterns, appearance, and dangers of the house … Read Full Post »

Do Mice Carry Rabies?

September 2, 2022. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Rodent & Wildlife • San Antonio

When you have a mouse infestation, it needs to be dealt with as efficiently as possible. Mice are incredibly fast breeders, so an infestation that’s not eliminated quickly is likely to grow out of control. These rodents can cause property damage and they contaminate anything they touch. This is partly because they carry bacteria and diseases that can make people sick. But, do mice carry rabies?

Mice are rarely infected with rabies, and they have not been known to transmit rabies to humans. Still, they pose a danger to people’s health in several ways. While they don’t carry rabies, they carry other harmful bacteria and diseases. These include salmonella, hantavirus, leptospirosis, typhus and plague.

When rodents crawl on your kitchen counters or chew through cereal boxes in your pantry, they are contaminating your food along with the surfaces in your home. Additionally, the pathogens in mouse urine and droppings have the potential … Read Full Post »

Can Rats See in the Dark?

August 15, 2022. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Rodent & Wildlife • San Antonio

When you hear rustling around the house at night, it could be a family member going into the kitchen for a midnight snack. If you hear noises in the wall, it’s an entirely different kind of hungry critter. Rats regularly scrounge for food and water at night, which has led to the popular belief that rodents can see very well in the dark. But can they really?

It is true that rats are nocturnal animals and would much rather hide away during the daylight hours than run about your home. Rats are incredibly sensitive to bright lights. It hurts their eyes. So it would make sense for them to have night vision. However, rats actually have pretty poor vision no matter how much light there is.

Most rats have adapted to living in low light and are pretty nearsighted, with the ability to only see a couple of feet in front of … Read Full Post »

What Is a Roof Rat?

August 8, 2022. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Rodent & Wildlife

Roof rats can cause severe damage to your home and landscaping. They move swiftly through the night to find food and water sources, often gnawing on your walls, pipes, wiring and plants along the way.

It’s important to know how to identify roof rats versus other rat species because they have different habits and diets from other rodents. When you spot a roof rat colony in your home, you need to deal with it right away to avoid further damage, disease and stress to your home and your family.

Keep reading to learn what is a roof rat, how to detect them, their eating habits and how to get rid of an infestation.

What Do Roof Rats Look Like?

Roof rats are easy to recognize because of their extra long tail and slender body. Their sleek fur is either dark brown or black, and some may have white or grey underbelly fur. They also … Read Full Post »