Termite Frass And Other Signs Of An Infestation

Termites are stealthy, destructive pests that cost homeowners in the U.S. billions of dollars in damage each year. Part of the reason these pests are capable of causing such extensive damage is that they tunnel underground and out of sight. However, there are a few signs that a homeowner can look out for that indicate the presence of termites, including termite frass, which is the technical term for this insect’s waste products.

Other common signs to look out for that can indicate that you have termites on your property include:

Flying swarmers
Piles of wings
Mud tubes
Cracking wood or wood surfaces that sounds hollow when you knock against them

Subterranean termites mix their feces with saliva and chewed wood to make their tunnels, called mud tubes. These passageways are most commonly found around the foundation of your home or along walls. About as thick as a pencil, mud tubes are typically brown, or are similar … Read Full Post »

How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Humans And Pets

You’re tired of those itchy flea bites on your skin and you know the rest of your family is feeling the same way. Your pets’ constant itching is enough to make you believe that they are also miserable. It feels as if every time you walk across your carpet or sit down on your couch, more bites appear. While you can hop in the shower every time you’re in a flea-infested area of your home, doing so will only get rid of those fleas on your skin. Because fleas prefer dogs or cats, these bothersome pests are more likely to hop off of us and go searching for another creature to feed on.

Additionally, if your flea problem has come to the point where these fleas are biting you, you likely have a full-blown infestation in your home. This means to get rid of fleas on humans, you’re going to have … Read Full Post »

Do Termites Have Wings? Identification Tips

January 27, 2020. Posted by Russell Jenkins in Pest Control, Termite Control • Dallas-Fort Worth

If you have spotted a swarm of small insects flying or crawling inside your home or elsewhere on your property, you might have instantly feared a pest infestation—and then asked yourself, “Do termites have wings?” The short answer here is yes: Certain types of termites in certain stages of their life cycle do have wings.

Not all termites have wings, however, and even those that do have wings don’t keep them forever. Furthermore, there are other winged insects, such as winged ants, that are commonly and easily mistaken for termites. A professional exterminator can determine exactly what type of insect is swarming in or around your home, whether it’s a termite, a winged ant or something else altogether. There are also certain signs and characteristics that homeowners can learn to look out for in order to make an initial diagnosis on their own.

Wanting to know how to identify termites and distinguish … Read Full Post »

How To Tell If You Have Termites In Your Walls

January 24, 2020. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Pest Control, Termite Control • Houston

Maybe you spotted some strange, tiny holes in your drywall or baseboards, close to where the wall meets the floor. Or perhaps you knocked on the wall on a spot you thought was solid, and oddly enough, it sounded hollow. Each of these signs could be an indication that you could have termites living—and feeding—inside your walls. However, these aren’t the only signs.

If you wonder if you might have termites, take a closer look around to see if you can spot any of the following:

Faint lines on drywall along areas where termites are tunneling
Wood that seems hollow when you tap on it with a screwdriver
Bubbling or peeling paint
Small pinholes where termites have eaten through your drywall
Baseboards that crumble under slight pressure
Jammed windows or doors
Buckling wood
Discolored drywall

While there are visible clues of termite activity, keep in mind that the subterranean variety, the type that is responsible for a reported $1.5 billion … Read Full Post »

A Homeowner’s Guide To Termites In Texas

January 20, 2020. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Termite Control • Austin

There are many reasons Texans love calling this part of the country home. We have warm weather nearly all year round, with so much to offer in terms of nature, history, sporting events, museums and other attractions. Unfortunately, we aren’t the only ones that are drawn to this state. Termites in Texas—specifically, the subterranean, Formosan and drywood varieties—are a major problem for countless homeowners. These destructive pests are responsible for costing homeowners in Texas hundreds of millions of dollars of damage each year.

How does this tiny pest get away with so much?

Subterranean termites, the most common species of termite found in Texas, tunnel in moist soil in search of cellulose, their primary food source that is found in wood, plants, cardboard, insulation and even pet excrement. Because these pests are tunneling underground, many homeowners are unaware they have a problem until these voracious insects have already caused extensive damage. These … Read Full Post »

How To Get Rid Of A Roach Infestation

January 16, 2020. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Pest Control • Orlando

You turn on the bathroom light in the middle of the night and spot it—a cockroach. The next morning as you go into the kitchen, you spot another one, scuttling away. After a few of these unwelcome encounters, you’ve come to the conclusion that you have cockroaches in your home. Most importantly, you want that to change. When it comes to getting rid of roaches, often the best route is to contact a pest control specialist who can apply effective treatments to roach nesting and breeding grounds. However, there are some things you can do to help limit your roach population and make your home less attractive to these common pests.

The first step to eliminating a roach infestation is pinpointing where these creatures are nesting. Common areas around a home include:

Around sinks in the bathroom and kitchen
Behind the refrigerator
In closets and cabinets
Under beds or couches
Around doors or windows

When you’ve discovered … Read Full Post »

How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs Permanently

January 13, 2020. Posted by Holt Myers in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Corpus Christi

A bed with a gray comforter and yellow and white pillows

Anyone who has dealt with a bed bug infestation has probably wondered how to get rid of bed bugs permanently. Considered by many in the pest control industry as among the most difficult problems to resolve, bed bugs can live for several months without eating, and are capable of laying up to 5 eggs each day, and over 500 over a lifetime. Able to survive in temperatures ranging from almost freezing to 122 degrees Farenheit, bed bugs are extremely resilient. To make matters worse, newly-hatched bed bugs are so tiny that they can squeeze in between the stitches of a mattress. These are just a few reasons why homeowners often skip DIY treatments and enlist the help of a professional, who is equipped with the products, techniques and experience needed to resolve an infestation both quickly and effectively.

If you believe you may have a bed bug problem, you should know that … Read Full Post »

Carpenter Ant Damage Vs. Termite Damage: Identification Tips

December 30, 2019. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Termite Control • San Antonio

a kitchen with signs of carpenter ant damage or termite damage

If you find damaged wood in or around your home, you might wonder whether carpenter ants or termites are to blame. Quite honestly, it can be difficult to tell if you have termites or carpenter ants without extensive pest control knowledge. While termites are responsible for $5 billion in property damage each year in the United States alone, most of this impact is linked to the subterranean varieties, which can be difficult to detect, since these species live most of their lives underground. and primarily eat away at our home’s foundation and other hard-to-access areas. Drywood termites are more likely to be spotted above ground, in similar environments as carpenter ants. One way to tell the difference between carpenter ant damage and drywood termite damage is by looking at how clean the damaged wood and surrounding area is. Generally speaking, carpenter ants tend to be pretty meticulous. Any wood that … Read Full Post »

Florida Carpenter Ants: Controlling An Infestation

December 16, 2019. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Ant Control, Pest Control • Orlando

You’ve found what looks like tiny sawdust piles along your baseboards or in your attic crawl space. Then, you spot an ant. After hearing horror stories about the damage these ants can do, you begin to worry that you may have a carpenter ant problem. First, you’ll need to confirm that what you have is actually a Florida carpenter ant and not something else.

Florida carpenter ants have a brown to rusty orange-colored head and thorax with the bottom half of their bodies being black. This ant grows a circular ring of golden hairs around its abdomen. Antennae are bullet-shaped and segmented into 12 parts. Workers measure in at about a quarter of an inch to a half of an inch in length, while winged swarmers and the queen can reach up to three-quarters of an inch long.

If the ants you have seen on your property fit this description, you’ll need … Read Full Post »

Does Mulch Attract Termites? Your Questions Answered

December 9, 2019. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control, Termite Control • San Antonio

If you’ve ever dug into the mulch around your property, you’ve probably noticed that there are quite a few insects squirming around in the mulch. You may have even noticed one of the most destructive pests in the country—the termite. Upon this observation, you may start to wonder if mulch attracts termites. If so, should you remove it? Or, does finding termites in mulch serve as a warning sign that an infestation already taken place?

While termite control specialists advise against piling up mulch near the foundation of your home, it isn’t necessarily because the mulch attracts new termites from outside. What the presence of mulch against the home does do, however, is provide an environment that encourages existing termites to set up shop more permanently. In fact, any kind of organic matter near your home that remains moist can provide that necessary cover for a termite invasion.

Therefore, while mulch doesn’t … Read Full Post »