Pest Library

Ants

Ants are social, scavengers, annoying, invasive, and, unfortunately, common. These pests live together in large numbers, can maintain multiple nesting sites, and have learned that where there are people, there are likely sources of food, water, and shelter available. Species of ants common in Spokane are carpenter ants, odorous house ants, and western thatching ants.

Carpenter ants are destructive; they chew through wood to create tunnels and nesting galleries, causing costly and extensive damage over time. Odorous house ants are nuisance ants that we often find in our kitchens. They release an unpleasant odor when crushed. Western thatching ants are eco-important because they hunt and feed on large numbers of insects and carrion. However, these ants are aggressive and spray formic acid when they bite, which causes blistering.

Doing things like sealing cracks in the foundation with silicone caulk, placing mesh covers over vents, keeping lids on trashcans, and installing door sweeps can help to keep ants out of your home. However, the best way to control ants and keep them out of your home is to partner with a professional that can offer local carpenter ant control. Call us today for more information!

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are wingless, appleseed-shaped insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded mammals. Human blood is the bed bug's preferred food source, which is why they thrive inside structures where we live or spend time. Bed bugs aren't dangerous, but they are problematic; they bite through our skin to feed, which leads to red, itchy, uncomfortable bites.

Because bed bugs have the potential to be wherever there are people, you can come into contact with them almost anywhere – houses, apartment buildings, airports, hotels, and schools. After introducing them into your home, bed bugs will find a daytime hiding spot, such as cracks in walls, spaces behind wooden trim and baseboards, and the seams of mattresses. Knowing common bed bug hot spots allows you to regularly inspect those areas of your home and identify an infestation sooner than later.

Use the following prevention tips to help avoid discovering a large bed bug infestation inside your home.

• Thoroughly inspect purses, backpacks, and duffle bags that you regularly use for hiding bed bugs.
• Routinely vacuum and shampoo rugs and upholstered furniture.
• Avoid purchasing used mattresses and furniture for your home.

For professional bed bug control in Spokane, reach out today.

Bees and Wasps

Bees and wasps are stinging insects that regularly find their way into our yards. They are opportunistic pests and will take advantage of the food, shelter, and water sources our yards provide them. While stinging insects are eco-important, we can't allow them to take over our yards and make it impossible for us to enjoy our outdoor spaces.

Many stinging insects live throughout Spokane. Asian giant hornets (murder hornets) are the world's largest hornets and can be dangerous. European paper wasps are generally docile, but their stings are a danger to people. Honeybees are important pollinators and are incredibly beneficial. We don't kill honeybees; we rehome the hive to preserve this species. Western yellow jackets are a species that is very aggressive when they feel threatened, will give chase, and can sting more than once.

Use the following tips to help prevent stinging insects from calling your yard home.

• Keep trees, shrubs, and bushes pruned away from your home's exterior.
• Avoid over-planting flowers near walkways, windows, doors, and outdoor sitting or eating areas.
• Fill in ground holes and remove yard debris.

To learn about home pest control in Spokane, call today.

Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder bugs are insects that primarily live outside but occasionally find their way into our homes. They have received their name because they prefer to live and feed on boxelder trees. Properties with or near boxelder trees and other seed-bearing trees are most likely to experience problems with these insects. It is common for boxelder bugs to use houses and other human structures to overwinter.

Boxelder bugs are easy to identify; they have an oval body that is black and elongated, with a bright orange color outlining their wings. When temperatures drop, boxelder bugs are attracted to our homes' warm, sunny exteriors. As they crawl over a home's exterior walls, they move inside through cracks and other openings. Once inside, they congregate in wall voids, crawl spaces, and attics, where they remain warm and dry throughout the winter months.

To avoid problems with boxelder bugs, repair defects in your home's exterior to keep them out. Use silicone caulk to seal cracks in the foundation, repair torn screens and worn weatherstripping, and place mesh covers over vents. It is also essential to repair damaged siding and roof shingles. However, the best defense against boxelder bugs is always to implement preventative pest control services.

Clover Mites

Clover mites are tiny arachnids. They are primarily landscape pests, living outside in areas that put them in contact with their preferred food sources- clover and grass. Any grassy area like parks, athletic fields, and our yards can be a place that clover mites call home. Though these eight-legged arachnids prefer to live outside, they can become an issue inside our homes.

In the spring, when newly hatched clover mites leave their overwintering sites and seek warmth, they often migrate to the warm sunny sides of houses and other structures. As they crawl around the surfaces of our homes, they move indoors through the small spaces they come across. Though clover mites are certainly annoying and unwanted in our homes, the good news is that they don't pose significant dangers.

Like boxelder bugs and other occasional invaders, the best defense against clover mites is professional pest control services. Their tiny size makes it challenging to keep these pests out of your home on your own. Call today to learn about our monthly commercial pest control options and how they can help you control unwanted pests like clover mites!

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are pests that no one wants to find in their homes but have the potential to find their way into any of our homes. These flat, oval insects have withstood the test of time because of their adaptability. They know how to live almost anywhere, and unfortunately, they have discovered that our homes and businesses offer them a place to call home. Anywhere food is stored, prepared, and consumed is where cockroaches can thrive.

If you ever spot a cockroach scurrying across the surface of your Spokane home, it is likely a brown-banded, German, or oriental cockroach. Brown-banded cockroaches require warm temperatures to survive and love to use our homes as shelter. German cockroaches have adapted to living indoors with people, feasting on the crumbs they find around our homes. Oriental cockroaches are slow-moving compared to other cockroaches; however, they do have the potential to bite, especially in the case of large infestations.

Use the following tips to help keep the cockroaches living in our region out of your home.

• Regularly inspect your home's exterior and seal any openings that can provide entry points for cockroaches.
• Always inspect secondhand items and any deliveries or boxes you bring into your home for cockroaches.
• Repair leaky pipes and fixtures that offer cockroaches a water source.
• Never store food on counters or tables.

For effective cockroach control near you, contact Backwoods Pest Control today.

Earwigs

Earwigs are pests that cause most people to recoil in fear when they spot them. They have a dark reddish-brown body, long antennae, and two menacing-looking pincers extending from their hind end. Though their pincers look dangerous, they are, in fact, only strong enough to cause harm to each other and other insects, not to people. Though there is the potential for earwigs to bite or pinch people, they don't pose significant threats.

The damp soil in our gardens and flowerbeds is where earwigs feel at home because it puts them near the insects and plants they like to eat. Living near our homes makes it easy for them to migrate inside through gaps around windows, under doors, or cracks in the foundation. Hot, dry weather conditions drive these pests indoors. Once inside, they move to damp areas of a home, like basements, wall voids, kitchens, and bathrooms.

Use the following prevention tips to help keep earwigs out of your Spokane home:

• Install gutters to direct rainwater away from your home's exterior.
• Reduce yard debris like leaf piles, woodpiles, and brush piles to limit damp, dark places for earwigs to hide.
• Inside your home, reduce areas of excess moisture by using dehumidifiers and ensuring your home is adequately ventilated.

To get rid of earwigs once and for all, reach out to Backwoods Pest Control today.