Frequent Questions
Pest
- I am already getting tiny black ants in my master bathroom..I went around my house with insecticide twice last summer.You can see them crawling up my concrete.I don't know how they are getting in my bathroom. What can I do to get rid of them?
- Hello. While looking recently into an old box of files and file folders, we found hundreds of tiny white larvae with red heads, all wrapped in loose webbed cocoons attached to the papers. Once agitated, they started to travel. They really resembled maggots, but there would be no typical food source available for them. Could these be some type of beetle larvae?Thanks...B
- How can I get rid of centipedes. They've been in my house for years and I can't seem to get rid of them.
- I have found a black widow spider and sprayed it with Hot Spot a 9 month chemical border. The spider looked dead and I put it in a tupperware container and it is still alive. I sprayed it approximately 10 times to see the effectiveness. What is the best way to rid our home of black widows?
- I think i killed a brown recluse spider.. can i bring it to have you look at it to verify?
- I was wandering what could be done about snakes?
- If one apartment is infested with bedbugs, can that infestation spread to another apartment in the same building?
- Recently, we found brown recluse spiders in our home. What we can we do to eliminate them?
- We have an infestation of biting mites, probably bird or rodent mites, brought in by our dog. We have had this for 18 months. They are still here despite the fact we stayed out of the house for 8 months and left it without heat all winter to freeze them out. It did reduce the numbers, but they aren't gone.We would like to get fumigation if that would get rid of them.Thank you.
- We have, what looks like, hornets, coming from holes in the ground and they are in our flower bed. It almost looks like where moles have dug but we see the hornets flying around. How do we get rid of them?
- We've been finding small (about 3/8" long) moths in our house. Last fall, we also had a problem with 1/2-inch long worms on our kitchen ceiling. What are they, and what can we do to get rid of them? Are they most likely in the kitchen?
- What else can we use besides the traps to eliminate moles?
- What is Action Pest Control's philosophy on treating a brown recluse infestation. I have Brown Recluse in my home. I know because I have set out glue traps and I now have about 8 caught (not including the basement or garage areas). I have a trap in the bathroom, two in the living room, and one in the kitchen.How do you treat an infestation?Looking forward to your reply.
- problem with springtails...all rooms chalked windows, have ac contantly on, moved water retaining mulch away from house....anything else I can do? What type of product would you apply inside and out?
- we have daddy longleg spiders and they are everywhere every time I kill them they come back with even more and, they are in r bed at night and my wife had one on her and she broke out with hives. how would I get rid of them?
I am already getting tiny black ants in my master bathroom..I went around my house with insecticide twice last summer.You can see them crawling up my concrete.I don't know how they are getting in my bathroom. What can I do to get rid of them?
We hear this story every day. The ant in question is more than likely the odorous house ant. These ants live in colonies of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands and efforts to control them can be frustrating for the homeowner (and professionals for that matter). During the winter months, odorous house ants live in micro-environments in homes especially where there are "warm zones" (e.g., next to heat ducts, behind brick veneer on south facing walls and so forth). Start by trying to "trail" the ants in warmer months. Many times they are foraging on the exterior of the home in search of food. These particular ants do not nest for long periods of time and are considered "vagabonds." Leaf litter on plants, beneath mulch, and in landscaping areas are considered prime habitat for the odorous house ant. Look in landscaping lights, edging, and beneath landscaping stones...they will nest almost anywhere! To locate odorous house ants inside your home during the winter months, you want to think "warmth". Great places to start your inspection are warm zones like south facing windows, next to heating ducts, and in crawl spaces. If you have live plants, inspect them for aphids, or plant-feeding insects...if present, apply soapy water to remove them. In the summer months, exterior perimeter treatments with residual insecticides seem to work well, but you will need to find as many ant nesting sites as possible and treat them. In addition, use ant baits (e.g., Terro) along trails of ants. Baits don't seem to eliminate them but keeps them foraging outside. In winter months, I like to use baits to eliminate the foraging ants in conjunction with residual insecticides near suspected ant trailing areas. If all else fails, you may want to hire a professional. Odorous house ants can be difficult to manage and elimination can proove to be a challenge for even the most seasoned pest professionals.(In fact, we have a few homes that have "chronic" odorous house ant infestations)!!
Hello. While looking recently into an old box of files and file folders, we found hundreds of tiny white larvae with red heads, all wrapped in loose webbed cocoons attached to the papers. Once agitated, they started to travel. They really resembled maggots, but there would be no typical food source available for them. Could these be some type of beetle larvae?Thanks...B
Blair, These sound like the larvae of casemaking clothes moths (or possibly the webbing clothes moth). Clothes moths generally feed upon wool or other natural fibers. Check woolen clothing, carpets, felts, old insulation, lint from wool rugs and pet hairs, animal hides and mounts, even stains from organic materials like juices, urine and sweat. Identifying and removing infested materials helps but the larvae tend to scatter away from the source to pupate. Physical removal of all larvae and adults is a great first step. Targeted applications of residual insecticides may be needed, especially if the infestation originates in an inaccessible area (like an old mouse or bird nest in a wall void). Please call us for a free inspection and estimate if you need some help. Thanks for the question. Scott Robbins, A.C.E. Tehcnical Director Action Pest Control
How can I get rid of centipedes. They've been in my house for years and I can't seem to get rid of them.
Centipedes reside in cracks and crevices and voids so treating under your baseboards with a residual dust product (either silica gel or diatomaceous earth). Spot treatments with water-based residual products in basements, crawlspaces and around the exterior perimeter will also help. Indoors, centipedes are often established in moist areas, so check around all water and drain lines as well. Outdoors, remove potential harborages around your foundation like leaf litter and wood piles and treat under landscape timbers and stones and gutter downspouts. Be sure to seal any gaps that penetrate your foundation, such as around utility lines, and be sure foundation vent screens are sealed. Hope this helps. If not, call Action for a free inspection.
I have found a black widow spider and sprayed it with Hot Spot a 9 month chemical border. The spider looked dead and I put it in a tupperware container and it is still alive. I sprayed it approximately 10 times to see the effectiveness. What is the best way to rid our home of black widows?
Most residual chemicals kill slower than contact kill sprays. If it has only been a matter of minutes, it may still be alive. it is also possible the product had separated and you needed to agitate it before use. You also must remember that most insecticides work on the insect's (or arachnid's) nerve receptors. What you see as movement may only be the firing of unblocked nerve signals if it is only the random twitching of a leg. Black widows in our area are more active on the exterior so any treatment program must also include outside entry points and the perimeter. No product, over the counter or professional, will last nine months at effective levels for black widows inside or out. Extensive routine cleaning indoors to remove their webs (food source) is also important. The best way to rid your home of black widows is to sign up for Action Pest Control's TermaPest Service. Please call for a free inspection and estimate. Scott Robbins, A.C.E. Technical Director Action Pest Control
I think i killed a brown recluse spider.. can i bring it to have you look at it to verify?
Yes. We perform free identifications. If no one is available when you come by, you can leave the specimen and someone will call you. We are open 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday thru Friday. We also perform free home inspections if you would like to have us come to you. The advantage of that would be we would already be there to inspect for other activity. You can give us your contact information on our website's "Schedule Service" section to take advantage of that option.
I was wandering what could be done about snakes?
It depends on the species and where they are causing a problem. Small, non-venemous species like garter and rat snakes entering a structure are relatively harmless but still an unwanted pest by their presence. Good exclusion (pest-proofing) will work here. Seal up any holes around utility penetrations, foundation vents, under the base of siding and in roof soffits. If these species are causing a stir in your flower bed or garden, there are commercial snake repellants available. Efficacy varies with these products and reapplication is often necessary. Large snake glueboards are available (these will usually result in the death of the snake). Wildlife control specialists can be used if you do not want remove the animal yourself. These highly trained individuals should always be used in the case of venemous species (like timber rattlesnakes).
If one apartment is infested with bedbugs, can that infestation spread to another apartment in the same building?
Yes it can. They will migrate in search of 'food', a blood meal, especially if the apartment becomes vacant. They may also be 'repelled' by certain types of pesticide application. They can simply walk under doors or follow utility and other structural lines through walls. It is important that all infested units and all surrounding units (above, below and all sides) all be treated for best results. Hope this helps. Thanks for the question. Scott Robbins, A.C.E. Technical Director Action Pest Control
Recently, we found brown recluse spiders in our home. What we can we do to eliminate them?
Brown recluse spiders are difficult to eliminate. It will take time before you see results. Sticky-board traps are one of the best tools to help aid brown recluse control within your home. Treatments with insecticides can help but traps seem to be more effective at controlling this secretive spider. In order to control brown recluse spiders, place as many traps in your home as possible and keep storage areas neat and organized to reduce their breeding habitat. Place the traps in garages, attics and crawlspaces if possible. Be patient. It will take time.
We have an infestation of biting mites, probably bird or rodent mites, brought in by our dog. We have had this for 18 months. They are still here despite the fact we stayed out of the house for 8 months and left it without heat all winter to freeze them out. It did reduce the numbers, but they aren't gone.We would like to get fumigation if that would get rid of them.Thank you.
Are you certain they are mites? Have you tried any more conventional pesticide applications, such as broadcast applications to your carpet and furniture? You might also try steam cleanining your carpets and furniture first? What kind of treatment have you done to the dog? You also need to know where the mites are that got on the dog in the first place? It is posiible a rodent or bird nest in the structure caused the infestation and the dog is also a victim. Eliminating the source is key to long term control. Fumigations are very expensive and provide no residual control. We would be happy to provide a free consultation on some convetional methods to help solve your problem. Hope this helps.
We have, what looks like, hornets, coming from holes in the ground and they are in our flower bed. It almost looks like where moles have dug but we see the hornets flying around. How do we get rid of them?
These are most likely cicada killer wasps. Dusting the entrances to their burrows with any insecticide dust is most effective method of control. Try to cover any patches of bare soil to discourcage their digging next season. You may also have a few offspring hatch out next year. Try to dust them as early as possible next season to avoid another repeat. Hope this helps. Thanks again for the question. Scott Robbins, A.C.E. Technical Director Action Pest Control
We've been finding small (about 3/8" long) moths in our house. Last fall, we also had a problem with 1/2-inch long worms on our kitchen ceiling. What are they, and what can we do to get rid of them? Are they most likely in the kitchen?
The moths are called Indian meal moths and they are often found in grain or grain-based products. Typically Indian meal moths are found in cereals and grains but can also be found in pastas, dog food, cat food, dry mixes, nuts, bird seed, breads and anything else made from these products. The "worms" you were seeing is the larval stage of the Indian meal moth. They typically find their way to the wall/ceiling juncture to pupate (stage they develop into adult moths). They also pupate in the infested materials and in cabinets. The best way to eliminate them is to find the material they are infesting and discard it. You may have to go through all of your cabinets and open all likely infested materials such as dog food, rice and so forth. Another thing to look for is material with pin-sized holes in them as the Indian meal moth larval stages can chew their way into them.
What else can we use besides the traps to eliminate moles?
Mole traps are very effective for controlling mole populations. Until recently this was the only real option available. However, Bell Laboratories has introduced a mole bait called Talpirid. Talpirid has been proven effective at killing moles. It is available for purchase for do-it-yourselfers or you can sign up for Action's mole control service. Contact your local Action Pest Control branch for more details.
What is Action Pest Control's philosophy on treating a brown recluse infestation. I have Brown Recluse in my home. I know because I have set out glue traps and I now have about 8 caught (not including the basement or garage areas). I have a trap in the bathroom, two in the living room, and one in the kitchen.How do you treat an infestation?Looking forward to your reply.
We have a comprehensive bimonthly management program of inspection, monitoring and varying, targeted product applications based on the biology and life cycle of the brown recluse population within your home. We target different stages of recluse development with products taylored for most effectiveness. We also will identify and focus on preferred breeding areas to reduce their reproductive capacity. For more information and a free inspection, please visit the 'Schedule Service' section of our website or call your local Action branch location. Thanks again for the question. Scott Robbins, A.C.E. Technical Director Action Pest Control
problem with springtails...all rooms chalked windows, have ac contantly on, moved water retaining mulch away from house....anything else I can do? What type of product would you apply inside and out?
Crack and crevice dessicant dust formulations indoors and granular insecticide formulations along your foundation outdoors can be helpful. However, insecticides usually only offer a temporary solution to springtails. Reducing Relative Humidity to below 45-50% is recommended. Air conditioning alone may not accomplish that. The problem could also be moisture under your home (a leak under a slab foundation or high humidity in a crawlspace for instance). Eliminating the moisture source is key to long term control of sprintails. What is the exterior grade of your home? Does rainwater pool near your foundation? Does your guttter downspouts empty next to your home? If you have a crawlspace, have you considered a closeed crawlspace system? Hope this helps. Please call us for a free consultation if you need a hand. Thanks for the question.
we have daddy longleg spiders and they are everywhere every time I kill them they come back with even more and, they are in r bed at night and my wife had one on her and she broke out with hives. how would I get rid of them?
For long term control, you need to limit their ability to get inside. Exclusion (i.e. sealing entry points such as gaps around doors and windows from outdoors or around lights and ductwork indoors) keeps both the spiders out and other insects they prey upon for food. Another critical element is sanitation, many spiders species are passive hunters, dependent upon their webs to capture prey. Remove their webs and they either have to leave or starve. Vacuum up spider and web and you kill the spider. Harborage reduction is the third element. Clutter in a home gives them many undisturbed places to hide. Excessive clutter outside gives them habitat adjacent to your home. Due to a spider's physical structure, spraying is often only a short term solution without these other non-chemical controls. When all else fails, give Action a call. I hope this helps.