What You Need To Know About Pests In Lufkin, Texas

As a resident of Lufkin or the surrounding areas, you’re no doubt familiar with some of the many pests that call the region home. After all, certain pests like ants can be so ubiquitous throughout Texas that they can feel impossible to miss if you spend any time outside. However, there are a number of pests in the region that can be harmful both to people and to property. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the most common invasive pests we see in our area:

Ants

Ants are social insects that live together in highly organized colonies and invade spaces in large numbers. Ants usually prefer to nest outside but are regularly drawn inside our homes by food odors or moisture. They may also move into our houses to escape harsh weather conditions like heavy rains, drought, or extreme temperatures. Once ants discover that your property benefits them, keeping them away is difficult.

Over 200 species of ants live in Texas, each with varying preferences for food, nesting site locations, and behaviors. Ants regularly finding their way to our properties are carpenter ants, pharaoh ants, and odorous house ants. To accurately identify the ants on your property, reach out to us. Correct identification is vital to being able to treat an ant infestation successfully.

In addition to regular pest control services, doing the following things around your property will help you prevent problems with ants:

• Reduce foraging sites by keeping lids on trashcans and recycling bins, regularly harvesting gardens, and keeping cooking and eating areas free of food debris.
• Eliminate excess moisture by making repairs to leaky pipes and air conditioners.
• Repair cracks and crevices in your home’s exterior that offer entry points.
• Remove fallen trees, tree stumps, and other wood and organic debris from your yard. 

For the best ant control in Lufkin, contact Quality Pest Control.

Cockroaches

A cockroach infestation can occur in any home, no matter how clean. Cockroaches can enter homes by hitchhiking in potted plants, storage boxes, deliveries, and secondhand items. They can also move inside from the outside after being attracted by its warm, humid environments like kitchens, bathrooms, and crawl spaces, as well as food odors. Once inside, cockroaches quickly establish themselves and are a nightmare for homeowners to control and eliminate.

There are three species of cockroaches in our area of Texas most likely to invade residential properties: American, German, and oriental cockroaches. Cockroaches are scavenging pests feeding on almost anything they come across. Food stored in the open on counters, crumbs underneath an oven, and even spilled toothpaste can provide these pests with a food source.

Use the following prevention tips to minimize cockroaches' ability to take over your home:

• Store your family's food properly in air-tight containers or in the refrigerator. 
• Regularly clean underneath large appliances.
• Inspect items you are bringing into your home for hitchhiking cockroaches.
• Reduce humidity levels in your home using dehumidifiers, ventilated fans, and air conditioners. 

For professional home pest control services in Lufkin, call us today.

Fire Ants

Most species of ants that find their way to our Lufkin properties are not dangerous; they are a nuisance and an inconvenience. An exception to the rule is the fire ant. Fire ants are tiny but extremely aggressive, and to defend themselves and their nest, they deliver painful, venom-filled stings. The presence of fire ants in our back or front yards can make it impossible for people to enjoy their outdoor spaces safely.

Fire ant stings are not only painful, but their venom is potent enough to trigger severe allergic reactions in people and our pets. Fire ants like to nest in open sunny areas, making our yards prime nesting locations for these dangerous ants. Their nesting galleries are identified by the wide dirt mounds they create by pushing dirt from their tunnels out from the ground.

While fire ants nest outside, they will move into our homes while foraging for food. Use the following tips to prevent fire ants from taking over your property:

• Seal cracks in the foundation and install door sweeps to keep fire ants from entering your home.
• Remove their water supply by repairing leaky hoses and outdoor fixtures.
• Remove their access to food by keeping lids on trashcans, keeping outdoor eating areas clean, and picking up uneaten pet food. 

If fire ants find their way to your property, stay away from their nest, and call us for assistance removing these dangerous ants.

Fleas & Ticks

Fleas and ticks are outdoor pests that feed solely on the blood of warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, rodents, and wild animals. As animals travel to and from your yards and other outdoor spaces, they transport fleas and ticks onto your property. When you, your kids, or your pets spend time in your backyard, you can come into contact with them.

Fleas and ticks are so unwelcome on our properties because of the health consequences they cause; both spread diseases that can make people ill. Flea bites are incredibly itchy, and excessive scratching can cause secondary infections. Fleas are also capable of spreading parasitic tapeworms to people and animals. No one should have to share their yard with biting pests.

Use these tips to prevent fleas and ticks from taking over your property.

• Make your property unappealing to wildlife; remove bird feeders, keep lids on trashcans, and avoid feeding pets outside. 
• If you own pets, with the help of their veterinarian, place them on a year-round flea and tick preventive program.
• Maintain your yard and keep the grass cut short.
• Keep flea- and tick-infested rodents out of your home by repairing defects in the foundation, exterior walls, and roofline.

Keep biting fleas and ticks out of your yard by partnering with Quality Pest Control today.

Spiders

Spiders are arachnids that we identify by their two body segments, many eyes, eight legs, and lack of wings and antennae. Our Lufkin backyards provide many spiders like the black widow, brown recluse, wolf spider, and yellow sac spider with a suitable habitat. Our lawns, trees, and gardens offer them easy access to their insect prey and plenty of places to rest and lay their eggs.

It is essential to understand that a spider infestation on your property is generally an indicator that, in addition to the spider problem, you have other issues you need to address. If spiders are moving in and out of your home regularly, there are openings in its exterior that need repair. Additionally, spiders only live where they can easily access their insect prey. If spiders are on your property in large numbers, so are their insect prey!

As soon as you notice an influx of spider activity, contact a pest control professional. Don’t try to tackle a spider infestation on your own. Remove spiders from your property and resolve the underlying issues attracting them with our help. Please reach out today to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Lufkin, and let us help you with your spider problems.

Termites

Homeowners in Lufkin need to guard their homes against two types of subterranean termites: the Eastern subterranean termite and the Formosan termite. Subterranean termites create underground nests (Formosan termites can also build nests about the ground) and prefer to feed on wet, decaying, and dead wood.

While termites aren’t directly harmful to people, the damage they can eventually cause to our homes is costly, difficult to repair, and causes a great deal of stress. As they move around the soil foraging for food, termites' small size allows them to enter our homes through small cracks and crevices they come across. Once inside, they invade and feed on structural wood. Wood near moisture sources like pipes, windows, and doors is usually most susceptible to termites.

Termites invade in large numbers, are active year-round, and live primarily out of our sight, making controlling and preventing these pests difficult. At Quality Pest Control, we can help you keep these wood-destroying pests out of your home with the help of our termite control services. Please call today for more information about termite inspections, treatments, and our annual warranty.