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Fire Ant Control & Identification Guide

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
fire ants coming out of a nest

They say everything is hotter in Texas. That’s usually in reference to the weather and the food, but it can also apply to the burn you feel when you’re bitten by fire ants. If you spend any time outdoors, you’ve probably been bitten by these insects at least once or twice. They get their name from the fiery sensation caused by their bites.

Unfortunately, fire ants are an especially aggressive species of ant. That means you aren’t imagining it: When their nest gets disturbed, they will come after you, fast. Their bites sting and burn, and they can also cause raised, pus-filled blisters on the skin.

Interestingly, these ants don’t just bite people—they bite first to grab hold of you, and then they curl their abdomens under to sting your skin. It’s actually the venom in their sting that causes the painful, burning sensation. Their stingers are at the tip of their … Read Full Post »

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Do Roaches Come Back After Extermination?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
A cockroach on a person's skin.

If you’ve ever successfully treated a roach problem, you’ve probably wondered to yourself, do roaches come back after extermination? It’s a valid question if you are starting to see these nasty pests again after having your house treated. The short answer is, yes, roaches can come back after extermination even after professional treatment. Eradicating the roaches is only one part of an effective pest control plan.

A proficient pest control plan should include treating thoroughly for roaches, but it should also cover preventative measures like blocking roach access to your home from the outdoors. Many roaches that people see inside their homes came in from outside. Oriental and American cockroaches are easily identifiable and are two varieties that often make their way inside. These cockroaches are brown or black, grow from 1.5 to 2 inches long, and are about a half-inch wide. They typically live outside and create nests in damp … Read Full Post »

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How Do Mice Get In the House?

. Posted by in , • Houston
a mouse trying to get into a home

If you’ve ever dealt with a mouse problem, you may have been confused about why they were there in the first place. How do mice get in the house? The answer may surprise you. Mice get into houses through small cracks or holes. These openings might be in the walls, eaves, foundation or floors. The surprising part is, mice can squeeze through incredibly tiny openings—holes as small as the width of a pencil.

Mice come into our homes seeking food, water and shelter. Their natural habitat is outdoors, but sometimes it gets too cold or too hot outside. During periods of drought or extreme heat, mice can have a hard time finding food or water. These are the times when they venture into people’s homes in search of the essentials they need to survive. If they find plenty of food and water, they’ll settle in and build a nest.

When mice build … Read Full Post »

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Can Mice See in the Dark?

. Posted by in , • Orlando
a house mouse nibbling on a piece of food

In the cartoons, mice have all kinds of superpowers. They can fly, speak and even save the world. But how about real-life mice? We know that mice are generally more active at night. Does this mean that real mice have superpowers too and can see in the dark?

The truth is that mice do not have strong eyesight. Mice are not completely blind, but they have trouble seeing objects clearly. This means that mice cannot see well in the dark or in the light. However, they do have other ways to find their way around a room.

For one, instead of using their eyes, mice rely on their whiskers to figure out their surroundings. A mouse has two dozen whiskers on their face, and each whisker has powerful sensors on it. When the whiskers touch things, they send signals back to the mouse’s brain. The mouse uses these signals to create a … Read Full Post »

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Are There Squirrels or Rats in My House?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
a squirrel on a wooden fence

Squirrels may be cute to some, but they can also cause as much damage as many other pests. Like rats, squirrels are also rodents. Both animals are clever and enjoy chewing on a variety of items. This also means both creatures can leave quite a mess if they get into your home. Nonetheless, there are some differences you can look out for to help determine whether you have a squirrel problem versus a rat problem.

Appearance

While they are both small, furry, brownish or grey-colored animals that have small ears, there are a few differences. Squirrels are generally a bit larger than rats, and their eyes are usually a bit bigger. Squirrels also usually have a more distinct division between their heads and bodies than rats do.

The types of squirrels that are most often found in neighborhoods can grow to around 18 inches to over 2 feet long, on average. Meanwhile, most … Read Full Post »

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What Does Rat Poop Look Like?

. Posted by in , • Austin
rat poop

What does rat poop look like? This is a question that pest control specialists answer a lot. Unfortunately, it’s common to find something in your home or garage that looks like rat poop. Rats are hardy animals with lots of tricks for getting into people’s homes, attics and garages. When you find what looks like rat poop, you might wonder what type of rat it came from. Is it from a Norwegian rat or a roof rat? Could it actually be from some other pest, like a mouse?

Finding rat poop on your property can indicate a nearby infestation, so it’s important to know how to identify it. Fortunately, there are several characteristics that can tell you if what you’ve found is likely to be rat poop or something else. That way, you’ll know when it’s time to call in a pest control professional.

The two main types of rats that commonly … Read Full Post »

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Can Cats Smell Mice?

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station
a cat that has sniffed out a mouse in a garden

We have all seen the popular cartoons about a cat trying to chase down a mouse and going nuts as the mouse plays all sorts of tricks on it, but how much of this is true in real life? It has been said that animals have an ability to sense that something is different or wrong in their environment long before humans have any idea that something is going on. When it comes to cats and mice, this is definitely true.

Cats have many of the same kinds of heightened senses that some of the world’s top predators use to track down their prey. This gives cats an increased ability to smell mice, but cats are not the only pets with this type of talent. Like their feline friends, dogs can smell mice too.

On average, both cats and dogs have a better sense of smell than humans. That is one reason … Read Full Post »

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What Can I Do About Flying Carpenter Ants?

. Posted by in , • Houston
a winged carpenter ant

Carpenter ants do not always fly, but when you spot a winged version of one of these creatures, it could mean trouble. These pests can damage your home by chewing through a variety of wooden structures.

As adults, carpenter ants are about a quarter of an inch to three-fourths of an inch in length. Their segmented bodies are typically black, reddish or multicolored, and they have hair on the tip of their abdomen. Adult worker ants are usually wingless, but reproductive carpenter ants have wings and can look a lot like flying termites. These winged reproductive adults are also called “swarmers.” If you see these pests around your property it typically means there is a carpenter ant nest nearby. Unfortunately, this might also mean that these pests are damaging the structural integrity of your home.

Carpenter ants swarm when they are mating, which typically happens in the spring or early summer. The … Read Full Post »

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How Long Do Mice Live?

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
a mouse in an attic

The thought of having mice in your home is disturbing. If these creatures have shown up, you are probably wondering how long they might stick around. Well, the average lifespan of each mouse is just around two and a half years. However, where there is one mouse, there are typically many more mice.

This means that even if the one mouse that you know of dies off, it does not necessarily mean that your mouse problem is over. This animal might have left behind several more friends and family members.

This is due to the nature of the mouse life cycle. Female mice can get pregnant as early as just a month or two after they are born. Once they reach sexual maturity, female mice are fertile as often as every four to five days. They typically mate at night and can breed at any time of the year. Once a female … Read Full Post »

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Cockroach Versus Beetle: What Pest Do I Have?

. Posted by in • Orlando
a cockroach

When you spot a bug running across the floor, you may wonder what exactly you just saw. Yes, it’s the old cockroach vs. beetle debate: Was that some type of beetle? Most of us don’t want beetles in our houses, but at least they don’t have quite the ick factor that cockroaches have. Or was it—shudder—an actual cockroach? Fortunately, there are several distinct characteristics that can tell you which insect you just saw, even if you only spotted the pest for a second before it zoomed out of sight. (Hint: If it looked like the image above and it moved that fast, it was most likely a cockroach.)

Identifying the Differences Between American Cockroaches, Oriental Cockroaches and Beetles

There are several main types of cockroaches that people commonly find in their homes. Two of them look very similar to each other, namely American and Oriental cockroaches. Both of these types of roaches … Read Full Post »

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