They say everything’s bigger in Texas, from the hearts of their people to the size of their hair. Unfortunately, this sentiment can also apply to household pest infestations. These large-scale pest infestations not only aggravate your home’s residents but can lead to the contraction of life-altering diseases and damage to your personal belongings.
Texas is home to a variety of diverse climates ranging from semi-arid to subtropical. Because this Deep-South state is 12% desert, dangerous pests could be lurking in the dark corners of your home. With Texas’s wide-open spaces that can host a variety of household pests, devising a pest control strategy should be of utmost importance.
If you’re experiencing difficulties with any of the common household pests listed below, contact pest control experts like Moxie Pest Control today. For those Texas residents who are unfamiliar with the most common household pests in their area, read on for more information.
Scorpions
As temperatures spike, scorpions will scurry inside, which can be life-threatening for homeowners in the Texas area. Along with increasing temperatures, dry weather patterns can also force scorpions inside.
If these household pests can gain entry to your home, scorpions will seek refuge under furniture, loose baseboards, or clutter. If you’re worried about a scorpion infestation, make sure to look in exposed holes, cracks, or crevices, or recruit a pest control professional who is well-versed in a scorpion’s preferred hiding spots.
Ants
Ants may not be a Texas-exclusive pest problem, but they are, undoubtedly, a huge nuisance. Ants flock to stray food particles, infest your kitchen, and otherwise wreak havoc on a peaceful household.
Remember, killing one scout ant won’t be enough to resolve an ant infestation, as there is often one nest located just out-of-reach. If that’s the case, it’s in your best interest to contact the professionals and allow them to both exterminate visible nests and search for concealed nests.
Fleas and ticks
Fleas and ticks may infest your dogs and other beloved pets. If your pet starts scratching or experiences sudden hair loss, your pet may have fleas. Besides causing unpleasant itching, fleas and ticks are vectors for disease that can threaten the health and safety of your loved ones.
If you spot signs of a flea infestation, you’ll need to reach out to pest control professionals and your veterinarian for further guidance. If left untreated, your dog or cat may experience Flea Allergy Dermatitis, Flea-Bite Anemia, or tapeworms. To prevent intensifying symptoms, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian right away. Remember, ticks can be carriers of Lyme disease, a terrible bacterial infection that can infect even your healthiest family members.
Mosquitos
While mosquitos are common in most climates around the U.S., these pests are especially prevalent in areas of a subtropical climate. Aside from irritating your houseguests and ruining your backyard fireside, these household pests can cause painful and itchy bites in their victims.
In more extreme cases, they can infect your loved ones with illnesses like West Nile virus.
Pest control companies can nip an infestation in the bud and guarantee customer satisfaction. However, if you’d prefer to incorporate DIY pest control methods, you can still win the fight against ruinous pests.
To combat household pests, proper lawn care is vital. As an additional safety precaution, you’ll need to keep your kitchen and other areas of your home as clean as possible.
Rodents
Rats are disease-carrying pests that chew through your walls, destroy your wiring, and eat your food. Unlike other household pests, rodents have been responsible for some of the worst plagues in history.
Although these rats can inflict harm on your loved ones, you shouldn’t be alarmed if you spot one in the general vicinity of your home. These household pests are relatively common in the state of Texas. If you currently reside in Texas, rodents are pests you should expect and pests you should be prepared to deal with.
To take a pest infestation into your own hands, thoroughly clean your home’s eating areas. If you suspect a severe rat infestation, and DIY methods aren’t resolving the issue (mouse traps, baits, etc.), contact a local exterminator.
Wasps
As reported by the pest professionals, there’s no shortage of wasps in Texas. In this Deep-South state, there are a variety of different subspecies that can potentially infest your home’s outdoor areas. Some species are more harmless than other wasp species. Unfortunately, a specific subset of these wasp species may attack you, your family, or your pets on-sight.
To prevent stings that can stir life-threatening allergic reactions, you’ll need to address this pest problem as soon as possible. Otherwise, you may expose your loved ones to painful stings and severe allergic reactions.
Termites
Of all the pests on this list, termites are the most likely to damage your property. Signs of termite infestations include chips in wood surfaces, bite marks carved into the wood, peeling paint, loosened tiles, or mud tubes spotted inside of your walls.
If left untreated, termites can cause significant damage to your property. Unfortunately, this damage is often not covered by insurance. So, if you choose to overlook the signs of a termite infestation, prepare for an influx of repair costs and termite treatment costs.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are inherently frightening, almost as if humans have been triggered on an evolutionary level to fear these household pests. This sense of fear is justifiable, given a cockroach’s disease-carrying properties.
Typically, these pests appear when a nest already exists within a home, and a messy kitchen or overflowing trash lures them from these pests out of their hiding places. Along with the ability to carry disease, cockroaches are also known to spread bacteria to your loved ones.
Spiders
Remember the phrase “Everything’s bigger in Texas”? Unfortunately for those arachnophobic homeowners, this directly applies to the spider species occupying the Deep South. Texas, in particular, is home to dozens of spiders. Though some species are harmless, others carry a potentially lethal venom. With an impending risk of a life-threatening spider bite, exterminating existing clusters of spiders is extremely vital.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a life-long resident or you’re planning to relocate to the Lone Star State, establishing a pest control plan will not only increase your home’s resale value but will prevent debilitating allergic reactions and disease. If you don’t have enough free time to craft a pest control plan of your own, you can depend on the experts to deploy the right pesticides, traps, and other pest control tools.