5 Most Common Pests Treated by Pointe Pest Control

5 Most Common Pests Treated by Pointe Pest Control

There are all kinds of pests that are treatable by pest control. Every issue from rats to mosquitoes to black widows are called in to pest control companies, since they are definite problems that need to be treated as soon as possible. At Pointe Pest Control, we have provided services for many different types of pests. But there are a few that are continuously asked about, since the species seems to not take a hint that we don’t want them in our homes and businesses. Let’s take a look at the top five most common pests that our team receives questions about and our wonderful technicians treat. 

1. Little Black Ants

This is an accurate description of many kinds of ants, but it is actually a species of ant that is often found invading homes. These shiny ants are dark-colored, and they are very small, measuring at about 1/16 of an inch. The queen is twice that size, but she doesn’t usually make an appearance in our homes. Little black ants have six legs, antennae, and a waist with two segments. While they do have a stinger, it is tiny and inadequate against humans. Ants are a problem year-round, but they invade most often in the hottest part of summer, from June to August. They like to live in dark areas with easy access to food and water. Outside, this means staying in wooded areas, under rocks, under brick piles, or inside decaying wood. 

Little black ants forage scent trails to find food, and they will follow these trails into cracks and holes in a building to get to our food. They commonly invade bathrooms and kitchens because that is where the main sources of food and water are for them. These ants eat basically anything, which is why they are a common pest that needs to be eradicated often due to the sheer size and frustration level of their colony. But the favorite foods of little black ants include grease, meats, fruits, vegetables, sweets, and oil. The worker ants, which do all of the foraging and colony care, also eat other insects, honeydew from aphids, and plant secretions. So you can see how they would find our homes, especially our kitchens, impossible to resist. 

Prevention: There are many ways to prevent ant invasions that will also cut down on other pests. The largest one is to clean! You don’t have to do a deep, scrubbing clean every day, but little tidying tasks do help to prevent ants. Wipe up any crumbs and spills that you find, take out the trash when it’s full, and store food in properly-closed containers. Make sure that you don’t have any leaky pipes or cracks in your home, since these are easy draws and access points for tiny insects. Keep shrubbery and trees trimmed away from the house so that ants can’t use the leaves and branches as a highway right up to the home. One trick to know where the ants are coming from is to follow them back to the nest when they seem to be turning away from your food or water. They will likely go to a small crack somewhere along the floor, so you can find the approximate location of the nest and be able to tell the pest control technician the area to focus on. An ant invasion is nothing you want to mess with, since having all of your dried food ruined by tiny insects is not something that anyone considers fun (to our knowledge). 

2. Mice

This infestation problem is definitely more noticeable in some ways while harder to tell in others. Meaning, the mice like to stay hidden so they won’t be out in the open like insects, but finding any size mouse is solid evidence of an infestation. Female mice can produce up to 12 babies every 3 weeks, so the population grows very quickly if left untreated. Mice typically like to invade from October through February to escape the cold, but they continue this annoying practice into the spring. Mice seek food, water, and shelter, like any other pest, but they have the added danger of potentially carrying diseases. Salmonella and hantavirus are just a couple of the harmful pathogens that can be on any mouse’s fur or paws, which then is tracked wherever they go. Mice can impressively squeeze through dime-sized holes and cracks the width of a pencil, so any kind of opening is a grand entrance for them. 

Mice also usually eat anywhere from 15 to 20 times a day, which means that any food you have will be steadily consumed by them. And since mother mice have quite a few babies to feed, you will definitely notice when they are taking your food. They enjoy most kinds of grain or plant, which means that dried food and pet food are often snacked upon by these pests. Another sign of an invasion is shredded paper in random spots, since mice love using this for their nests. These nocturnal pests memorize everything in their immediate vicinity, so they know where to go for food and materials when we are asleep at night. One frightening fact is how quickly they can spread. Since mice can fit in really any small space, they can easily invade a whole immediate neighborhood of houses if the problem isn’t treated immediately. 

Prevention: To prevent a mouse infestation involves the steps similar to preventing any kind of pest invasion. Clean up any areas of standing water, wipe up crumbs and spills, and make sure to shuffle food items around once in a while so they don’t remain stagnant and vulnerable. Mice also like to gnaw through wires, so try to avoid having areas of cluttered wires anywhere. It can also help to store food and possessions in snappable plastic containers. Food will stay fresh and safe in zip-top bags or push-top containers, and your old childhood mementos will be better stored in plastic tubs. Cardboard boxes are favorites of mice, so anything inside is available for mice to build their new home. Store pet food in a plastic snap-top garbage can or container of some kind instead of leaving the food out. This will prevent mice and other pests from ruining your furry friend’s meals and causing trouble for everyone. 

3. Wasps

Wasps are arguably one of the worst pests to have as a problem around your home or business. Their painful stings are reason enough to eliminate the problem, but there is added frustration with how they like to place their nests on our fences and houses. Wasps are different from the other pests in how they like to stay outside and never really try to come inside to annoy us there. There are a couple common kinds that like to invade our yards. One is the paper wasp, which makes their nest out of paper-like material and hangs it from branches, railings, and eaves. The wasp is brown with yellow or red markings on it. The danger from this wasp comes when we don’t see the nest hanging above our heads and walk too close for the wasps’ preference. Another kind is the Yellowjacket, which is known for its black and yellow coloring. Its nest can be huge and have multiple sections all over that are covered with a protective layer. Their nests can either be near the ground or up high. They are territorial and will not hesitate to sting if they think their nest is threatened. 

Wasps are more beneficial than the previous pests by nature. They are pollinators that also eat crop pests and sick insects, which helps the ecosystem remain balanced. But that doesn’t mean we want them around our homes! Our team receives calls about wasps quote often due to the danger factor and how it prevents homeowners from enjoying their outdoor space to the fullest potential. Wasps look for older wood and a steady supply of insects near which to build their nests, which is why it often is somewhere on or near our houses. The queen wasp builds it using her saliva and wood fiber, which is why they need the wood. Wasps tend to mind their business, unless anyone who’s not a wasp gets even slightly close to their nest. This is why pest control is needed to take care of the problem; wasps will not go away on their own, unfortunately. 

Prevention: It’s difficult to completely prevent a wasp infestation since they love wood and other insects, which are both likely in your yard somewhere. But it can help to lessen the frequency by cleaning up fallen fruit if you have a fruit tree and eliminating standing water. Wasps need a water source and some kind of food source when insects aren’t available, so getting rid of these resources will keep them from being attracted to your yard. Their nests will likely be near these resources, so look around the area to see if you can find their home and avoid the immediate area if possible. Also, pest control treatments for other insects will consequently take care of the wasp problem in many cases. Since wasps eat other insects, they won’t have a reason to come around if there aren’t any insects in sight. The treatments also usually repel wasps in general, so it’s a very beneficial investment.

4. Mosquitoes

Ah, the mosquito. This is one of the most annoying and potentially dangerous pests out there, which is why we complete plenty of mosquito control services for our wonderful clients. Millions of people are killed worldwide from malaria, which is typically transferred by mosquitoes. The disease and other similar pathogens are directly from the mosquito, not from other people’s blood in their bodies like some people believe. Interestingly, only female mosquitoes bite humans, and it is exclusively when they are preparing to lay eggs since they need the higher protein content. They lay the eggs in water or a place that will soon have water, which is why we find so many mosquitoes on the shore of a lake or calm river. Mosquitoes will also use toys, plant trays, tree holes, and plastic covers for their homes in suburban areas. But mostly, mosquitoes live off of nectar and plant juices. There is luckily a form of natural pest control in the waters; fish and dragonfly larvae love mosquito eggs, so areas with those populations will likely see a decrease in the amount of mosquitoes. 

Mosquitoes will fly far, but not very fast, to areas that they find the most food sources in. They are mostly attracted to carbon dioxide, which we exhale, and body chemicals found in substances like sweat. Various studies from the University of Washington have shown that mosquitoes are more drawn to red, black, and orange colors, so people wearing those colors may be more likely to get bitten. Warm-blooded mammals give off a red signature that mosquitoes can detect, which is how they find us so easily. To predict the amount of mosquitoes we will likely see in the warm months, it helps to look back at the winter. A mild winter will produce more mosquitoes later because more of them survived. Temperatures between about 45 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit are the prime temperatures for mosquitoes to hatch and survive. So if the winter in your area was relatively mild this year, there is a likely chance that they will plague your summer and search around for the best nectar or blood vessels to probe. 

Prevention: Unfortunately, for those of us who are susceptible to mosquito bites basically every time we step outside, there is not much to do to avoid them completely. Mosquitoes just like some people’s blood more than others, which is bad news if you are also allergic to mosquito saliva. If your bites immediately swell up, turn red, and itch without you even touching them, chances are high that you are allergic (which some of us can personally say is no fun). One way to lessen the chances of being bitten is to cover your arms and legs when going for a walk or doing any extensive outside activity. Wear a thin long-sleeve shirt and leggings or workout pants to keep cool while staying protected. Bug spray is extremely helpful against mosquitoes, so make sure to pack some when going to the lake or when you know you’ll be outside near sunset. In the backyard, eliminate as much standing water as possible. Empty out all plant drainage trays and shake off tarps after it rains. Keep an eye on your pet’s water dish to make sure there’s no sign of mosquitoes or other pests making their early home in there.

5. Spiders

Spiders are a conflicting kind of pest. On one hand, they are beneficial by eating all kinds of insects that plague our gardens and yards, including aphids, flies, mosquitoes, roaches, earwigs, and moths. This is why many gardeners like to keep spiders around, since it is natural pest control that saves the plants and herbs from being eaten by pesky insects. But on the other hand, spiders themselves can be pests by invading our homes and crawling around where we don’t want them, since they’re creepy and don’t make for exceptional houseguests when they leave their webs everywhere. Not to mention the species that are dangerously poisonous to us, like the brown recluse and black widow, can make for an expensive hospital trip. The habitat preferences of spiders all depend on the species. Some love sunny areas with plenty of access to plants filled with insects, while others want shady areas that provide more protection for the spider. Most spiders are attracted to hiding spots in general, which typically include wood, rocks, and debris. 

The principle to remember with spiders is that where you find a lot of insects, you will likely find a spider or two. Spiders are driven by food sources when it comes to finding a home, so they will build their web in the area with the most consistent food supply. Speaking of webs, if you find the spider actually siting on its web, that means there are a lot of insects around in that moment. This could be useful information about what is living in your home or yard, since you would be able to tell if you have a major bug problem on your hands. Spiders are independent creatures, so they typically don’t want anything to do with us. This is nice as most of us don’t want to go near a spider, so this is a good unspoken agreement. But some spiders don’t hold up their end of the deal and might make their home in our shoes or cabinets if they are secluded enough. 

Prevention: The most productive way to make spiders leave is to get rid of pests in general. If a spider doesn’t have food nearby, it has no reason to stick around. This will also provide you with a space that doesn’t have a ton of insects in it, so it is an ideal way to solve a spider problem. Pest control is a great tool for this, since the experts are equipped to handle both spiders and their food sources. The inspections that they do are also beneficial, since you can find the entry points of spiders if they make their way into your home. An easy way to get rid of spiders is to knock down spider webs when you find them. If it is done enough times, the spider will get tired of rebuilding in the same area and will relocate. Another is to reduce the amount of unnecessary moisture and overflowing trash in the home and yard. Spiders need water like everyone else, and trash means more insects in the area, so getting rid of these resources also means eradicating the spider problem since they will know to look elsewhere for their provisions. 

We Are Here to Serve You!

No matter what type of pest problem is at hand, our whole team is dedicated to providing you with a pest-free space. From our professional Customer Service Representatives to our expert office staff to our caring and knowledgable technicians, we are all here to help. Contact our team today to learn more about how we can help you with any pest problem, big or small, that is keeping you from living a life free of pests. 

Citations

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