Pest Control in Texas
The state of Texas offers many amazing, memorable experiences for locals and tourists to enjoy. Many adventurers appreciate being able to peruse local historical museums or Dallas' ever-popular Arts District. The unique experiences go on and on. What many residents and visitors don't enjoy is sharing the same journey with pests that turn fun times into frustrating incidents! It's time to engage in some proactive pest control measures.
Thankfully, you can help keep pests from invading special moments by having a "getting-to-know the pest" session. After you've discovered the type and habits of the pests that share your space, it can help you to combat their invasive characteristics.
Five of the Most Common Pests
1. Ants
Here is a quick list of some of the different types of ants you may come across in various areas across Texas:
- Fire Ants
- Rover Ants
- Tawny Crazy Ants
Unlike Texas-native carpenter ants, Fire Ants came from South America. They are small growing to at the most 3/8 inches in size. Despite their size, their bite packs quite a painful punch and the red welt that develops can last up to seven days. Be on the lookout for mounded ground fire ant nests in areas that receive lots of sunlight.
The large-eyed, yellow to brownish-black Rover Ant species originated Argentina and Paraguay. They invade in high numbers. Their nests surround areas of fungal decay and rot. Rover ants travel far distances and quickly.
Pest control measures are a definite must with the reddish-brown 1/10 inch Tawny Crazy Ant. Do you enjoy television, electronic devices, and other electrical equipment? So do these ants. They damage electrical wiring by housing their nests nearby electronics.
2. Spiders
There are many different species of spiders found in Texas but here are three common types to research:
- Texas Recluse
- Brown Tarantula
- Spiny-backed Orbweaver
You may want to enlist a pest control expert's opinion if you spot this toxic cousin to the brown recluse nearby. The warm Texan sun creates the ideal climate for the Texas recluse as it loves hot areas and sun-bathing outdoors. Both the Brown Recluse and the Texas Recluse are found in Northern Texas.
If you aren't a fan of large furry spiders, you may have to become a fan. Texas is home to numerous tarantula species. Brown tarantulas vary in length from 1 and 1/2 to 3 inches. They are found in grasslands, under stones or logs and other natural cavities. These brown spiders with furry abdomens aren't poisonous to humans.
Is it a crab or a spider? Spiny-backed orb weavers have flat abdomens similar to crustaceans with spikes at the edges. The spider has red, white, black, yellow, orange or black markings. They typically populate wooded areas. Their bites tend to feel like painful bee stings.
3. Crickets
In recent years, Texas has discovered the growing need for pest control of swarming crickets. You can find out more pertinent information from a pest control professional to help avoid the swarm. In the meantime, here are two common crickets known to Texas dwellers:
- Texas Black Field
- House
Black Field Crickets are also known as Gryllus Texensis. This species is attracted to areas of light, lawns, pastures, and roadsides. They are dark in coloring and their high-pitched humming noise can be extremely distracting.
The House Cricket is 3/4 of an inch in size. House crickets love warm climates and invading your pantry. They also like fabrics and furnishings. House crickets can leave droppings and stains all over your home and they multiply quickly.
4. Termites
It may be wise to contact the pest control experts near you if you discover these termites near your home:
- Desert Dampwood
- Arid-Land Subterranean
The stinky, dark brown or yellowish colored Desert Dampwood Termite like semi-arid climates and dampened wooden areas. They can wreak havoc on leak-weakened areas of your home.
Arid-land Subterranean termites are dark brownish to black and range from 1/3" of an inch to 1/5 of an inch long. They have straight jaws, whitish wings, and feed on timber structures and greasewood bushes. This termite is also very common in areas of Arizona.
5. Mosquitoes
Mosquito bites can spread disease so be on the lookout for these two species prevalent in Texas:
- Southern House
- Western Encephalitis
Southern House Mosquitoes are brown in color and love to feed on birds. They also may attack humans at night and are notoriously known as the main carrier for the West Nile Virus.
Western Encephalitis are black mosquitoes that are identified by the white band on their arrow-like heads. These strong flyers can travel close to 10 miles away from their breeding ground.
Get informed on what's bugging you today! Pest control is all about informed decisions based on bugged out facts!
