Around the world people ring in the New Year with traditions meant to celebrate a fresh start and let go of the prior year. In Colombia and Ecuador they release the negativity of the prior year during “los años viejos” where they burn previously made effigies (in the form of large puppets or scarecrows) of those who have died in the past year or of people they dislike. Until recently, people in Johannesburg, South Africa, would throw old furniture out of windows to symbolize the removal of old problems and the gaining of a fresh start. The people of Denmark utilize old dishes in their celebrations, breaking these dishes against a friend’s front door or front step in order to bring them good fortune in the dawning year (in Denmark, broken glass is a sign of good luck). Closer to home, we often include in our celebrations a set of New Year’s Resolutions, meant to help us embrace the idea of “out with the old [bad habits], and in with the new.”

In that spirit of letting go of the old, we turn to a place often neglected when it comes to that sentiment: the pantry. Though it may not seem like a priority with the dazzle of the New Year and the new decade still fresh, with so many people making resolutions around both food and money, it’s a place you won’t want to forget about lest you find your food infested with weevils and yourself having to let go of more than just old food.

How Many Kinds of Weevils Are There?

Weevils are actually a type of beetle and in comparison to other beetle groups, are known to have an exceptionally high number of different species in its family. In Texas alone, it is believed that there are over 1200 different types of weevils. Though they all share certain commonalities, and many can become pests agriculturally (like the boll weevil) or to ornamental plants (like the black vine weevil), when you are dealing with them in your home the predominant varieties you will encounter are the rice weevil, granary weevil, cowpea weevil, and maize weevil.

What do Weevils Look Like?

With so many different types of weevil in existence, there isn’t one description that could cover them all. However, there are certain traits shared by most weevils, especially those listed above as the common varieties you would find in your home (with the exception of the cowpea weevil, which lacks the notable snout). Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of the adult weevil is its head shape, which is elongated at one end to form a snout with the mouth at the end of that snout. They are generally dark brown or black with slender or oval-shaped bodies, and are quite small, ranging from 1/10^th to 2/5^ths of an inch in length. Some weevils are capable of flying (such as the rice weevil), while others (like the granary weevil) are not. In the larval stage, they are tiny, white/cream-colored, wrinkled, humpbacked and legless, with a small, tan-colored head.

How Do You Get Weevils?

Though there are plenty of weevil species that can be found outdoors and can make their way indoors through cracks and crevices, the most common way that these pests find their way into your home is inside packaged and bulk food items. The eggs arrive in your home already inside a seed or grain kernel. The adult female weevil will chew a hole into a seed or grain kernel using her long snout and will then deposit an egg inside and seal up the opening afterward, keeping the egg well-hidden. Once the egg hatches, the larva will feed on the meat inside the seed/kernel until it is fully grown, when it will eat its way out of the grain/seed.

But you won’t have just one weevil emerging, and it won’t stay as just one generation for long. Not only does mating often occur within 24 hours of the adult weevil emerging from the seed/grain, but 1 adult female can lay 300-400 eggs, which can complete a generation in just 1 month in favorable (warm, damp) conditions; this means that an infestation can happen quite suddenly. And these pests are persistent, living as adults for around 7 or 8 months, which means you could be living with them for quite some time unless you take proper measures.

Are Weevils Dangerous?

Fortunately, weevils are not a dangerous household pest. They don’t bite or sting, and they are not toxic if consumed. They are, however, a significant agricultural pest, doing damage to a wide variety of crops and stored grain. And on an individual level, they can be responsible for a great deal of food waste, as well as the unmistakable horror upon finding these pests crawling all throughout your food; a horror that can linger for years afterward every time you think about buying that same product again.

How can you Prevent Weevils?

There are several important steps to take to prevent weevils from infesting your food and your home. Following these preventative measures year-round will significantly decrease the likelihood that you will find these pests taking over your pantry.

1. Inspect bagged and boxed foods before purchasing and do not purchase any items that have torn or damaged packaging.
2. Pay attention to expiration dates on bagged and boxed foods and do not purchase items past their expiration/best by dates.
3. Store dry goods (rice, pasta, flour, beans, nuts, etc.) in glass, metal, or thick plastic containers with tightly-fitting lids. If this is not possible, store these goods in the refrigerator or freezer.
4. Clean out reusable dry good containers before refilling; do not add new items to the existing (old) ones.
5. Keep the pantry clean and free of food debris and loose food.
6. Keep food storage areas dry.
7. Store non-food dry goods (pet food, birdseed, etc.) in tightly sealed containers away from the pantry, ideally in a shed or garage.

How do you Eliminate Weevils?

Eliminating weevils is essentially a 3 step process.

Step 1: Remove the infested food

• If you see weevils in your stored foods, immediately discard the infested food item.
  • Do save a small sample of the insects you are seeing in a well-sealed container so that when you have one of Mid-Cities Pest Control’s technicians evaluate your home for treatment they can correctly identify the pest for optimal treatment.
• Inspect all remaining food items in the vicinity for possible infestation and discard any additional affected items. Ideally, you will want to inspect all food items in the home, but it is especially important to check all items in the same pantry/cupboard/etc.
  • Pay special attention to all grains, flours, seeds, rice, nuts, beans, cereals, corn, etc.

       Step 2: Clean

• Remove all food items from the area where the infested food was found (pantry, cupboard, etc.) and vacuum all of the shelves, floor, and wall joints. Use the brush/crevice attachment on the vacuum to get to all areas, especially the edges of shelves, corners, and all other cracks and crevices.
  • Note: a vacuum is by far the best tool for this job as you need to ensure that all insects/eggs are removed from the food storage area. Cleaning agents, bleach, etc. will not aid in the removal of the insects.
• Always empty the vacuum or discard the vacuum bag outdoors.
• Give the kitchen a thorough cleaning.

Step 3: Call a Professional

• The danger in a weevil infestation comes from the fact that the eggs are so tiny and well-hidden that you will end up with hundreds of insects destroying your food before you even know you have a problem. Even after following steps 1 and 2, there is a good chance that these resilient pests may still be lying in wait to devour even more of your food. That’s why it’s always a good idea to call in a professional. The technicians at Mid-Cities Pest Control will identify the pest from the sample you saved to confirm it is indeed weevils and then determine the most effective, as well as the safest, method to treat for these pests so that they do not continue to cause damage to your food stores.
  • Never attempt to self-treat for weevils. Since products will need to be put in areas where food is kept, it is important for your safety to have a professional do the treating.

Don’t let weevils dampen your New Year; at the first signs of pests, call Mid-Cities Pest Control at 1-800-310-BUGS and let us help you say “out with the infestation, in with a fresh start.”

Additional Resources:

“Weevils of Texas – Superfamily Curculionoidea” – compiled by Mike Quinn – Texas Entomology.

“Rice Weevil and Maize Weevil” – Janet Hurley, Bradleigh S. Vinson – Entomology Extension, Texas A&M Forest Service

Author Bio: Alissa Breach has been gaining knowledge and experience around pest control concerns over the last 11 years while working for Mid-Cities Pest Control. She has a creative writing BA from UW-Madison and is always pursuing new and interesting writing projects.

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When we think of Christmas time our first thoughts go to the child born in a manger, loved ones, snow, Santa, and the carols we most love to sing. As we immerse ourselves in the magic of the season, we are sure to find animals of all shapes and sizes become part of the yearly yuletide; from reindeer to sheep, and mice to turtledoves, we welcome our furry and feathered friends (or at least their most charming likenesses) into our celebrations. Not too surprisingly though, the insects and arachnids that just a few months prior were central to many a Halloween decoration, are largely left out when it comes to the glory and joy of Christmas. Maybe it’s just too difficult to feel the cozy warmth of Christmas when looking at a spider or see the magic and joy when watching a roach skitter across the floor, even if that roach were wearing a tiny Santa hat and beard, or maybe it’s simply that we haven’t chosen the correct insects to include in our Christmas celebrations.

There is one insect that has had its place in Christmastime lore, one of the few insects that has had several notable positive representations in pop culture: the cricket. In 1845 Charles Dickens published a very popular novella: The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home, the third of his five Christmas books, in which a cricket acts as a sort of guardian angel to a family. Though Mr. Dickens was certainly writing about a fairly common cricket in that story, there is yet another cricket that seems destined to be connected to Christmas: the Jerusalem cricket. Not only does the name instantly bring up thoughts of the Biblical city and its own history, but it also brings to mind the city that’s less than 6 miles away and is infamous especially at Christmas, Bethlehem. But before you start singing “O little town of Bethlehem,” consider the second reason the Jerusalem cricket seems destined for Christmas: instead of making a chirping noise like standard crickets, the Jerusalem cricket makes a sort of drumming noise (perhaps a “Pa rum pum pum pum”…at least at Christmas) with its body.

Though this insect seems like the best candidate if one were looking to add to the Christmas animal repertoire, it faces the same challenges so many insects face: most people do not want to be around it. Not only is it a strange-looking insect, but it’s large, and the sight of it actually in your home would probably give you Halloween flashbacks instead of making you sing Christmas carols. So let’s learn a little more about this almost-Christmassy insect so you can learn how to avoid an unwanted Christmas surprise.

Why are they Called Jerusalem Crickets?

The name Jerusalem Cricket is actually a bit of a misnomer as they are neither from, nor found in, Israel. It’s unknown exactly how they received their name, but the most common theory is that it originated from a misinterpretation of the Navajo name for these insects (“Skull Insect”) by Spanish priests who interpreted the name as being related to “Skull Hill,” the place where Christ died.

Even calling them a cricket is a bit of a misnomer, as they are technically not a true cricket. Yes, they are still in the same Order as crickets and grasshoppers, but that’s a very broad category and there are several key differences between the Jerusalem cricket and common crickets that help to illustrate the naming confusion: unlike common crickets they are not built for jumping, instead they are built for burrowing into the soil; and though they are known for their unique mating song, it’s not the familiar chirping noise, instead the Jerusalem cricket creates their distinctive drumming sound by bumping the ground with their body.

In the end, these odd little bugs seem to defy all naming logic, adding even more intrigue to these unique creatures.

What do Jerusalem Crickets Look Like?

These strange-looking insects are quite large, around 2”-2.5” long, and have quite a distinctive appearance. Their bald, shiny, amber-colored head is one of the most distinguishing features, being that it is disproportionately large for its body and almost “humanoid” in shape, with two dark, beady eyes set just below its slender antennae. They also have very large mandibles (mouth-parts), which are highly effective for chewing roots, tubers, vegetables, and meat (including other insects), as well as aiding in soil excavation as they dig through the dirt in their subterranean world. Their shiny abdomen is ringed tan against dark brown or black. Finally, its legs, especially its front legs, are stout and spiny and adapted for digging in soil, not for jumping.

Where are Jerusalem Crickets Found?

Geographically, Jerusalem crickets are found in the western United States and parts of Mexico.

Outdoors, Jerusalem crickets generally spend most of their lives in underground burrows, only coming to the surface at night to feed on plant matter and insects; however, they can also occasionally be found making their homes in warm, damp places, generally in a protected area like a wood or rock pile. After mating, the female will burrow 6”-10” underground, usually in a protected area like was just mentioned, and will created a nest there that will house their eggs.

Jerusalem Crickets are rarely found Indoors, other than in a terrarium as a pet. Due to their preferred habitat and nesting site, they generally won’t be looking to make your home into their home, and most likely just wandered in while looking for food.

Are Jerusalem Crickets Dangerous?

Though they are an intimidating insect to suddenly find yourself faced with, they are not aggressive and are likely to simply try to escape if they encounter a threat rather than attempt to attack or defend. However, their strong, and sizeable, mandibles are known to deliver quite a painful bite should the Jerusalem cricket be cornered into a situation where it cannot flee and is forced to fight. Fortunately, they are not venomous or poisonous, so though the bite will hurt for a little, it won’t do any lasting damage.

These bizarre insects aren’t even particularly dangerous to crops, though this is definitely where they have their greatest potential for threat and damage. Since their diet consists of a good deal of plant matter, and they live underground, there are many crops, especially things like potatoes (another nickname for the Jerusalem cricket is Potato bug after all), that they have the potential to negatively affect. However, they can only do significant damage in large numbers, and though they can live for 2-3 years, it also takes about 1-2 years for them to mature to adulthood, and they are known to have a low rate of reproduction, making it rare to find an infestation of these insects to the point of causing severe crop damage.

How can you Prevent Jerusalem Crickets?

There are two main things to consider when attempting to prevent Jerusalem crickets from becoming an issue in your home: 1) how could they get into your home and 2) are there any ideal burrowing/nesting conditions in your yard that you could reduce or eliminate?

When considering how they could get into your home, be sure to look for any large gaps that may be present, especially at door sweeps or window seals, and make sure that any windows or doors that may be left open have a fully sealed screen over them. Since these aren’t a small pest like an ant, they will need a much more sizeable opening to enter your home, one that would be visible to the naked eye.

When considering what could be done to make your yard less hospitable to the Jerusalem cricket, remember that they like warm, damp places, and often go for protected locations under rock or wood piles. Clearing any such piles and keeping your yard free of leaf/plant debris will go a long way toward making your yard a less ideal home for these giants. Additionally, keep a close eye on any fruit or vegetable gardens as these are a potential food source for these insects and could serve to draw them into your yard when they’re searching for a midnight snack.

Finally, when it comes to eliminating potential food sources for the Jerusalem cricket, it’s always a good idea to keep your home as insect-free as possible. By getting on a pest control service plan with Mid-Cities Pest Control and having a certified technician maintain a pest barrier around your house you are far less likely to ever have to face a startling encounter with the Jerusalem cricket inside your home.

How do you eliminate Jerusalem Crickets?

If you find yourself facing a problem with Jerusalem crickets; whether it’s a lone insect that got inside and reminded you it’s time to get on a pest control service plan, or whether you’re facing an infestation, the best course of action is to call Mid-Cities Pest Control at 1-800-310-BUGS and have a certified pest control technician come out to evaluate your home and yard; they can provide you with service options to get the issue under control and maintain a pest barrier to keep your home from becoming a buffet for the Jerusalem cricket.

            This Christmas as you prepare to gather family and friends together to celebrate the joy and the wonder of the holiday, don’t worry about having to utter a “Bah, humbug” at any pests finding their way into your home, give Mid-Cities Pest Control a call and let our technicians help to make this a very Merry Christmas for all.

Additional Resources:

“Jerusalem Cricket” – Pestnet.

“Wild Thing: Stranger Things” – Ben Hutchins – Texas Parks & Wildlife.

“Potato Bug: AKA Jerusalem Cricket And Child Of The Earth” – Daniel Nelson – Science Trends.

“Genus Stenopelmatus – Jerusalem Cricket” – Cotinis, Chuck Entz, & David Ferguson – BugGuide.

“The Jerusalem Cricket” – Dr. Wayne S. Johnson & Jeff Knight – University of Nevada, Reno Cooperative Extension.

Author Bio: Alissa Breach has been gaining knowledge and experience around pest control concerns over the last 10 years while working for Mid-Cities Pest Control. She has a creative writing BA from UW-Madison and is always pursuing new and interesting writing projects.

Christmas vector created by pikisuperstar

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner and as we look to gather around the table with loved ones and give thanks for all of the blessings we have received this year, we are reminded of what has made this all possible: gratitude and the yearly fall harvest. From decorations of cornucopias to the abundant feast itself, Thanksgiving is all about celebrating a successful harvest, whether it’s remembering the first miraculous harvest that would eventually spawn this tradition, or being reminded how lucky we are to be able to enjoy such a banquet with people we love. Though many of us do not do the harvesting ourselves, dedicated farmers’ hard work comes to fruition and provides us with fresh nutritious food that keeps us happy and healthy the whole winter through, something to truly be thankful for.

But farmers are not the only ones dedicating their days to harvesting, there is a much smaller, but still very committed, hard-worker, the harvester ant. These hearty ants spend their lives harvesting for seeds to feed their colony, so much so that this behavior became the epitome of what we think of when we think of them. So it is in honor of all of the successful harvests that this country has seen, and the hard work put into them that we take a look at the indigenous harvester ant.

Why are they Called Harvester Ants?

Harvester ants are one of the most aptly named ant species, as they get their common name from their food-gathering behavior. Given that their food of preference is seeds, this means that they are spending their days collecting, or harvesting, seeds (such as wild sunflower, Johnson grass, burr clover, alfalfa, and even small beans) for their meals. They will then store this harvest in their nest to be feasted on by the colony. If their preferred foods aren’t available these resourceful ants will harvest for dead insects instead of seeds, adding them to their food stores.

What do Harvester Ants Look Like?

With 22 species of harvester ant in the United States, and at least 10 of those found in Texas (the most common being the red harvester ant), there is a bit of variance in the physical appearance of the different species of ants. In general, they are either orange to red or brownish-black, the workers are 1/4” to 1/2” long with 6 legs and antennae, most species have a 2-segmented mid-section with a pair of spines on the top (except for red harvester ants which notably do not have spines), many have square heads, and most have long hairs on their head that form a sort of “beard”. The “beard” is utilized in excavating nests as a means to push material from the nest, sort of like a shovel or bulldozer. These large, robust ants are slow movers, cannot walk up slippery vertical surfaces (such as glass), and have mouthparts designed for chewing the seeds that form the primary part of their diet.

In addition to workers (up to 10,000 for some species), the colony will include a single queen, which can live upwards of 17 to 30 years (nearly half the life of the colony itself, which tends to survive for 14 to 50 years). And on a summer afternoon after a rain, the colony will release reproductive harvester ant swarmers to go about the task of mating and building new colonies, with the males dying shortly after mating and the females shedding their wings and digging a burrow to lay the eggs that will eventually become the worker ants of a new colony.

Though the ants do have a fairly specific look, the easiest way to spot a harvester ant is by its distinctive nest. They generally create large mounds, almost 4.5 feet in diameter at times, with barren vegetation surrounding the nest.

Where are Harvester Ants Found?

Though harvester ants are still considered a common Texas ant, they are not nearly as prevalent today as they were in the first part of the 20^th century; this is largely due to repercussions from the influx of fire ants.

Geographically, harvester ants are primarily found west of the Mississippi river, though they are also found in Florida.

Outdoors, harvester ants make moderate to large mounds (depending on the species) in flat, open, and sparsely shaded areas or dry, sandy or hard soil, and will strip a large area (3 to 6 foot circle) of vegetation surrounding their nest to prevent shading. They will also strip the vegetation along their foraging trails that radiate out from their nest. The nest can be up to 3 feet deep and generally has 1 central entrance with small pebbles, charcoal, or bits of dead vegetation on the surface of the mound, particularly around the opening. Often, colonies are widely separated; however, in cases of heavy infestation, there can be multiple nests in closer proximity to each other (as many as 80 or more nests per hectare). These ants have such a strong preference for nest location that they are known to move the entire mound if there is a change in climate or a drastic increase in shade.

Harvester ants are rarely found Indoors; they are not known to invade homes or structures, so if they are seen indoors it is generally in very small numbers as they have simply gotten lost; they are not foraging or looking to set up a colony indoors like other ant species.

Are Harvester Ants Dangerous?

The short answer is “Yes, harvester ants can be dangerous.” Not only do these ants possess a nasty sting, they have the added negative of potentially causing costly damage to yards and rangeland.

Though these ants are not considered as aggressive as fire ants, they can become aggressive, and will most certainly bite or sting anything that disturbs their nest, potentially even killing the offending animal. Their painful, and poisonous, sting is known to last longer than the stings of other ants and spread along lymph channels, potentially becoming medically serious. This is in addition to the possibility of the sting causing a serious allergic reaction, especially in those who are more susceptible to insect-sting allergies. Even if you do not get stung by these ants, they are known to be vicious biters.

Fortunately, the ants are large and their mounds are fairly obvious, so avoiding contact with them is significantly easier than it is with ants like fire ants. Unfortunately, because their mounds are large and they not only harvest seeds from the nearby vegetation, they also clear a significant area of vegetation around their mound itself, they can cause considerable damage to ornamental lawns and home gardens, and in large numbers can damage pasture and range land, reducing yield.

How do you Eliminate Harvester Ants?

Once you have determined that you are facing a harvester ant issue, the best thing to do is call The Bug Dude at Mid-Cities Pest Control, Inc. and get one of our certified pest control technicians to take care of the problem. Not only do we know the best time to treat the ants, we will also be best able to choose the most effective product and dosage amount to eliminate the colony that is causing you an issue without over-treating; this is of particular importance for red harvester ants which are a primary food source for the Texas horned lizard, a protected species. Due to this connection with the Texas horned lizard, the harvester ant should ideally only be treated for minimally and only in cases where they are a danger to person or property, which is again why it is so important for these ants to be evaluated and treated by a professional, and not using DIY methods.

How can you Prevent Harvester Ants?

Since harvester ants are not an indoor pest, there are very few preventative measures that can be taken to keep them from becoming an issue as it’s much more difficult to deter a pest from enter your yard than it is your home. The two biggest preventative measures you can take are:

• Keep sources of seeds (such as gardens or bird feeders) to a minimum
• Make your yard less hospitable by increasing shade cover

            This Thanksgiving, if you see harvester ants trying to get in on the holiday celebrations, don’t wait until they have decimated a large portion of your yard, call Mid-Cities Pest Control at 817-354-5350 and get a licensed technician to evaluate the issue and go over the best course of action to keep your harvest celebration intact.

Additional Resources:

“Harvester Ants” – PestWorld.org

“Red Harvester Ant” – Field Guide to Common Insects – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

“ANTS, WASPS, AND BEES (Hymenoptera)” – Roger D. Akre, Hal C. Reed, in Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 2002

Author Bio: Alissa Breach has been gaining knowledge and experience around pest control concerns over the last 10 years while working for Mid-Cities Pest Control. She has a creative writing BA from UW-Madison and is always pursuing new and interesting writing projects.

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It was a night much like this one, still and quiet except for the rustling of leaves from the first true breezes of fall. A glassy sheen leaned in through fluttering window curtains as the light of a nearly full moon casts broken shadows across the rooms where a family lay in peaceful slumber, blissfully unaware of what was creeping ever closer.

Silently, the unknown presence moved through the family’s home, chaotically searching for what it needed, ever-growing, its numbers dwarfing that of the family still asleep upstairs. If there had been a noise, a squeak, a groan, anything to alert to the family to the invasion that was taking place, they may have stood a chance, may not have been woken so terribly from dreams so sweet, but the creatures moving through the home, through the walls themselves were chillingly noiseless.

So the night passed with the creatures amassing a horde of untold numbers.

The next morning, in the time just before dawn, when the sky is still murky and the world hasn’t yet taken its proper shape, the youngest child creeps from their bed and steals downstairs alone. Their heart is racing from the thrill of sneaking through the empty halls, racing past any open doors till they get to the kitchen. Holding their breath, they hear their pulse hammering in their ears as they drop down and peer around the corner, hoping they are alone, terrified they are about to be caught. A loud “caw” from a crow on the patio sends them tumbling to the floor, heart nearly exploding with its frantic pace. But the emptiness of the kitchen has been verified; or so it seems.

Tiptoeing to the counter, they see the treasures they had sneaked down for: Halloween treats of all shapes and sizes. They open the container with a flinch as its plastic crackles in the stillness of the heavy morning air. Keeping surveillance on the room around them, they reach a hand in and grab the sugar cookie they had had their eye on since last night. Without looking, they bring the cookie up to their mouth, but before teeth can sink in, they catch a glimmer of movement out of the corner of their eye. They look all around, but no one is there. The hairs on the back of their neck stand up as they know that something is moving all around them, something they just can’t see. Inching away from the kitchen, they bring the cookie up to their mouth again. And that’s when they see it. The movement is coming from the cookie itself. Their heart stops. Suddenly there is a glint of movement by the sink, and on the wall next to their head; the whole kitchen seems to be undulating in the dim gray light. They throw the sugar cookie down and scream, running full-tilt up the stairs and away from the possessed kitchen.

As parents and siblings are roused to soothe the terrified child, the moving creatures, hundreds of tiny ghost ants that have built their nest in the cracks of the kitchen, gather around the discarded cookie, continuing the task of foraging it for food for the ever-expanding colony.

Why are they Called Ghost Ants?

Unlike the “zombie ant,” another classic Halloween-appropriate ant species, the ghost ant doesn’t get its common name from any trauma or behavioral characteristic; instead, it received a spooky name simply because of its semi-translucent and spectre-like appearance, which make it difficult to see, like a ghost.

What do Ghost Ants Look Like?

Ghost ants are extremely small, around 1/16” long, and the workers are monomorphic (they are all the same size). They have a dark brown head & thorax with a pale, nearly translucent, yellow/white abdomen, antennae, and legs. When their colony is disturbed they tend to move in rapid, erratic movements, though they can sometimes be found in the more orderly and linear trail common to other ant species.

Where are Ghost Ants Found?

Geographically, ghost ants are found primarily in warm regions, originating in the old world tropics of Asia or Africa, and spreading from there to places like Hawaii, the Caribbean islands, Florida, Texas, and various tropical areas around the world. Though they prefer warm climates, they have made their way as far north as Canada by sticking to indoor locations, particularly greenhouses.

Outdoors, ghost ants tend to make their nests in protected places in the soil, in crevices of dead tree branches, under stones, in leaf piles/debris, in/under logs, in flowerpots, and under loose tree bark.

Indoors, ghost ants will nest in just about any protected cavity they can find, such as cracks, spaces between books, wall voids, behind baseboards, between cabinets, and in the soil of potted plants. Given the inconspicuous choices of nesting sites, you might be more likely to encounter the ghost ants when they forage or trail to water sources; though, these tiny ants will often live up to their haunting name by keeping themselves hidden from view while on their expeditions by trailing under carpet edges and along electrical wires within wall voids.

What do Ghost Ants Eat?

In nature, ghost ants prefer a diet of the honeydew that aphids make, and will also consume other insects. When they are interacting with people, however, they are just like kids at Halloween, and prefer to feast on sweet foods (in the case of ghost ants this would consist of cereals, sweet cakes, syrup, and raw sugar). Yet, though they prefer sweet foods, they will also consume foods high in protein or grease; so virtually any food in your kitchen is a potential meal for a ghost ant.

Are Ghost Ants Dangerous?

On an individual level, ghost ants are not dangerous. They do not sting and very rarely bite. Their bite, if you were to encounter it, would likely go completely unnoticed as it would be extremely rare to cause any discomfort or pain, and it carries no health risks.

The primary concern around the safety of a ghost ant infestation is due to the numbers of ants that can join together in giant nest sites of thousands, or even millions of individual ants; they are an ant species known for being able to redistribute themselves quickly and having no issue with overlapping colonies. Not only is there a significant risk that these populous ants will contaminate food in your home, which could at best cost you the price of replacing the food, and at worst cause illness for you and your family, but there is also an ecological concern at play (as with most invasive species) that as their numbers grow, they drive away local species, which can adversely affect the balance of the ecosystem.

How do you Kill Ghost Ants?

If you have ever killed a ghost ant by squishing it, you almost certainly noticed the pungent odor that was emitted upon its death. Much like Odorous House Ants, ghost ants give off a coconut-like odor when crushed. This odor has led to the ants being called by a different name in Malaysia: “Corpse Ant,” another fitting Halloween moniker. Not that killing ants by hand via squishing would ever be the #1 recommended method, but in this case, you would particularly want to avoid doing it at all, or else end up stuck with an otherworldly odor.

Much like their namesake, ghost ants are difficult to exorcise from a home once they have possessed it. Part of the reason for the difficulty is that their colonies contain multiple queens, so when a contact insecticide is used, the highly mobile colony can simply move to a new area and suffer no long-term ill effects. As with most ants, the most effective method of treatment is via the use of targeted ant baits; however, with the diminutive size of these ants, it’s especially important to get the correct dosage and type of bait if you are to succeed in eliminating the entire colony, and not just the foraging ants. It’s also particularly important to know where to place the bait, since ghost ants are such good hiders and have erratic foraging behavior, this can be particularly tricky, and is where training and years of experience definitely pay off.

If you think you have a ghost ant infestation, the best way to get it eliminated is to have a licensed pest control technician out to evaluate and treat using targeted products designed to exorcise even these spooky pests from your property.

How can you Prevent Ghost Ants?

Given the difficulties in eliminating a ghost ant colony once one has been established, it’s highly recommended to invest in a bit of preventative efforts to keep your home from becoming haunted.

• Keep shrubbery and tree branches trimmed away from your home
• Eliminate any leaf litter and yard debris around your home
• Store firewood or piles of bricks at least 20’ from your home
• Keep mulch (in landscaping) 12” from foundation and less than 2” thick
• Make sure your sprinklers don’t directly spray the foundation
• Remove any moisture sources from around your home
• Seal up any exterior cracks on your home
• Stay vigilant and if you suspect ghost ant activity, do an inspection
  • Inside: check all plumbing areas (sinks, toilets, tubs, etc.), carpet edges, around windows & doors, & electrical outlets (especially in the kitchen & bathroom)
  • Outside: check along foundation walls & sidewalks, turn over any stones, bricks, logs, debris, etc. on the ground

Don’t let this Halloween become a stressful story of ghost ant haunting; if you think you are having a pest problem, call Mid-Cities Pest Control to help you get it eliminated quickly so you can get back to the fun of costumes, decorations, pumpkin carving, and bone-chilling frights, and make the only ghosts on your mind the spectral visages that dominate this holiday season.

Additional Resources:

“Ghost Ant, Tapinoma melanocephalum” – Urban and Structural Entomology Program at Texas A&M University

“Ghost Ant” – Texas Invasive Species Institute

“Ghost Ants” – PestWorld.org

Author Bio: Alissa Breach has been gaining knowledge and experience around pest control concerns over the last 10 years while working for Mid-Cities Pest Control. She has a creative writing BA from UW-Madison and is always pursuing new and interesting writing projects.

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August has arrived, bringing with it the sure sign that summer festivities are coming to their close: Back to School season. Though the heat and humidity of summer are still firmly entrenched for at least another month, the relaxed summer vibe of vacations and time off from responsibilities is rapidly giving way to a hectic shopping frenzy as families rush to prepare for the next school year. Go into any major store in August and you can’t miss their Back to School section, which is virtually guaranteed to be constantly teeming with adults and children erratically making their way through the array of school supplies set out before them. And if your brave enough to venture into one of these stores over tax free weekend you are sure to encounter a crowd so dense it’s almost intimidating. It’s the time of year where you are likely to describe your days as “crazy” as you try to get everything ready for the coming year.

But your days aren’t the only “crazy” things propagating this summer, and the Back to School crowds can’t hold a candle to the erratic movements and dense numbers of the crazy ants that are invading Texas.

Crazy ants aren’t a new species of ant for Texas; they’ve been in the U.S. for over 80 years and the Tawny Crazy Ant was recognized as a unique ant type within the U.S. in 2002, but they haven’t yet reached the household recognizability of the infamous fire ants or carpenter ants, at least not until you have experienced a crazy ant infestation firsthand. Since they are an invasive species, having originated in South America, and have no natural predators in the U.S., their colony sizes can grow to overwhelming size, dwarfing the colonies of other ant species that have become household names. If you think that wrangling children through the maze of Back to School supplies while navigating their disappointment at the impending end of summer break has made your life hectic, imagine adding a house full of ants with a penchant for getting inside electronics to the mix, and see just how crazy the last month of summer could become.

In the spirit of Back to School, here is Crazy Ants 101 with everything you need to know about these prolific pests.

Why are they called crazy ants?

They are called crazy ants because they move in a rapid and erratic fashion and do not follow trails, unlike most ants which are very orderly in their movements.

What do crazy ants look like?

When we refer to crazy ants in Texas, we are usually referring to the Tawny Crazy Ant. There are several different species of crazy ant worldwide, but this is the one that is proliferating in the U.S. at the moment.

They are small, about 1/8” long, are uniform in size, have long, coarse hairs on their body, and are reddish brown (including their legs and long antennae). They are often found in mass groups so large they don’t even look like ants (more closely resembling dirt) until you get close enough to see them moving and spot individual ants.

Are crazy ants dangerous?

Since crazy ants are an invasive species and have only recently been studied in the U.S. their full impact hasn’t yet been determined. They are not directly harmful to humans; though they can bite you, the pain is very minimal and fades quickly. However, due to their extreme numbers and erratic movements, they can be extremely stressful to be around and can make you feel like you are the one going “crazy”. They can also cause significant damage within our homes as well as to livestock and wildlife.

When crazy ants get indoors, they are often drawn to electrical equipment and have been known to render these appliances and electronics inoperable due to their large quantities shorting out the circuits.

Where they are native, they are known to have caused the death of small livestock animals (by asphyxia) and to have attacked larger livestock around the eyes and nose, sometimes blinding them.

Perhaps most telling is that crazy ants are actually displacing fire ants (and most people want the fire ants back). Crazy ants produce an acidic chemical that they rub on themselves as an antidote to fire ant venom and that they can spray at other insects/animals as a weapon to defeat any competitors that might otherwise have kept their populations in check. Though many people would be happy to be free from fire ants, there are ecological consequences, and crazy ants are a frustrating alternative to their much easier to treat counterpart.

How do crazy ant colonies spread?

Unlike a great many ants that create new queens to spread their wings in the spring and take to the air to establish new colonies, crazy ants do not fly, so their spread across the U.S. is happening due to people transporting them unintentionally in materials like abandoned boxes, cars, and potted plants.

Signs of a crazy ant infestation:

Since crazy ants are known for their giant populations, the first, and possibly only, sign you will probably see of an infestation are the ants themselves, often in sizable groups.

Crazy ant prevention and treatment:

Crazy ants are notoriously difficult to get full control over, and are not possible to self-treat for. There aren’t any effective over-the-counter products available to consumers at this time. However, there are several products a licensed pest control professional can use to eliminate the ant population. The sooner you get the infestation treated, the more likely you are to see success with fewer treatments for the ants. When a population has grown to enormous proportions it becomes difficult to kill every last ant with just one treatment, and if there are some ants left alive, they will rapidly begin to rebuild their colony and cause there to be a need for another treatment to eliminate them.

Due to their enormous colonies, you are likely to see large piles of dead ants after your treatment; it’s important to sweep or vacuum up these dead ants so that the crazy ants can’t use the dead ants as a sort of bridge over any products that were put down to eliminate them.

Due to the erratic nature of crazy ants and their habit of not tending to building traditional nests/piles like most other ants, there is not much to be done for prevention. However, it’s always helpful to keep the following tips in mind to control ant populations, and they will assist in the battle against these insanity-inducing ants:

• Remove all harborage areas: fallen tree limbs, rocks, leaf litter, and anything on the ground that isn’t truly needed.
• Reduce humid/wet conditions in and around your home: reduce irrigation, repair any leaks, improve drainage, etc.
• Seal any cracks/crevices around foundation, windows, and doors.

This year, don’t let your August be made any crazier than it has to be; put your new knowledge to use and call us out at the first signs of a possible crazy ant infestation.

Additional References:

“The Rise of the Crazy Ants” – Dina Fine Maron – Scientific American

“Tawny (Rasberry) Crazy Ant, Nylanderia fulva” – Urban and Structural Entomology Program at Texas A&M University

“There’s a Reason They Call Them ‘Crazy Ants'” – Joe Mooallem – The New York Times

Author Bio: Alissa Breach has been gaining knowledge and experience around pest control concerns over the last 10 years while working for Mid-Cities Pest Control. She has a creative writing BA from UW-Madison and is always pursuing new and interesting writing projects.

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It’s that time of year again. Spring has arrived bringing with it warm weather, rain, and humidity. And though this combination makes our trees, grass, and flowers look gorgeous, it is also a perfect recipe for the start of termite season. When the weather hits just right, you can expect to see swarms of winged termites on the wind, which is why they are such a popular topic of discussion every April. Last year we brought you a Termite 101, which let you know all the basics of termite behavior, damage, and treatment. But as with anything that can cause significant damage, there is always extra anxiety, which brings with it a whole host of accompanying fables and misconceptions. So this year we’re going to go over five of the most common termite myths and let you know what is fact and what is fiction…and what is somewhere in between.

Myth #1: If you see a winged ant-like bug in your home this time of year it can only be a termite.

This is definitely one of the biggest misconceptions that we regularly encounter. Though termites are extremely common in April, the mix of warm weather and humidity are also excellent conditions for the arrival of a wide array of pests, including carpenter ant and fire ant swarmers, which are easy to mistake for termite swarmers to the untrained eye. If you take a look at our articles on termites and carpenter ants you can get a better idea of exactly what it is you are looking at, and what you can expect in terms of potential damage as well as treatment options. However, no matter what the pest turns out to be, when you start seeing swarmers (winged ant-like insects), the best course of action is to have a termite technician out to evaluate the situation; it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Myth #2: If I don’t get termites treated the minute I see them they will destroy my house.

This is one of those myths that is based somewhere in between fact and fiction. Though termites will do extensive damage to a home if left untreated, they’re not about to make the structure collapse overnight. This means that you have time to get a technician out there to evaluate the situation, give you treatment options, and then arrange to get it treated; as long as this is done in a reasonable time frame, there’s no need to add stress to an already stressful situation by worrying about every minute that passes. It is true that a quick response is key to mitigating damage, but remember that by the time you see termite swarmers, the colony has already been doing damage for several years, so a few days will not make any significant difference.

Myth #3: The signs of a termite infestation are obvious.

Unfortunately, other than termite swarmers, the signs of an infestation can be very easy to miss. Unlike carpenter ants, which will leave noticeable piles of wood shavings (called frass) when the colony has grown to a sufficient size, termites generally do not leave telltale external signs that they are in your home. The only sign, other than swarmers, that you are likely to encounter are mud tubes, which are basically covered pathways the termites use for transportation. However, these tubes are generally camouflaged against the foundation of your home, making them very difficult to detect unless you know exactly what you are looking for. The only other time you are likely to find out you have an infestation, other than when a termite technician is out at your house and identifies the signs, is when you are doing home repairs or remodeling and discover the wood damage, or the actual termites themselves, in your open walls.

Myth #4: One termite treatment will last the life of your house.

It’s true that termite treatments are designed to last longer than your average pest control service, but they certainly don’t last forever, nor would you want them to. The idea of never having termites again may sound appealing, but the ecological impact of using a pesticide with that long of a life would be disastrous. Ultimately, termites are a part of life, which means that it is impossible to give a 100% guarantee that termites will never return to a structure. Though a professional termite treatment will eradicate the current infestation, termites are prolific and since pesticides can only last so long while still being safe to be used around you and your family, there is always a chance a new colony could find its way to your home in the future. Fortunately, most professional termite treatments come with a warranty and regular inspections, which will aid in keeping your home free from termites, and will give you peace of mind knowing that if they come back, they can be detected early and treated before extensive damage is done.

Myth number 5: I can save money if I just treat termites myself.

When it comes to termites there is no good over-the-counter option. The products needed to treat a termite infestation are significantly stronger than what is safe for use without a license. Additionally, termite treatments involve much more than simply spraying a product around your home. A qualified technician not only needs to assess the source of the infestation, but they will often need to trench, rod, drill and inject in the right areas (usually exterior and interior) in order to eliminate and control the issue. In the end, by attempting to save money up front and treat for termites yourself, you’re almost certain to end up costing yourself much more in the long run when termites do extensive damage to your home because they were not correctly treated and eliminated.

When it comes to dealing with something as significant and potentially costly as a termite infestation, it’s important to know what you’re dealing with and be able to understand fact from fiction. And if you’re ever in doubt, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and call a trusted pest control company to ask for advice rather than simply believing the termite myths that have a way of proliferating. So as spring arrives, know that the staff at Mid-Cities Pest Control are ready and waiting for all of your termite questions.

Author Bio: Alissa Breach has been gaining knowledge and experience around pest control concerns over the last 10 years while working for Mid-Cities Pest Control. She has a creative writing BA from UW-Madison and is always pursuing new and interesting writing projects.

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There’s a saying that “everything is bigger in Texas,” and it generally holds true, from the size of the trucks we drive to the size of the pests that lurk in our homes. So it’s no wonder that when you see an insect that looks like a giant mosquito with long, spindly legs, your first reaction would be to assume it’s a Texas-sized mosquito. After all, these pests seem to be just as annoying as their smaller counterpart, constantly invading your space and making it impossible to relax when they are around.

But if you pay attention to these ungainly insects you would quickly realize that they don’t bite, and if you asked around about them you might hear them called “mosquito hawks,” a moniker that implies that the insect is indeed a predator of the hated mosquito. It may then seem tempting to endure the annoyance of these pests at your next outdoor event if it meant a reduction in the mosquito population. Unfortunately, as you would quickly find out, this nickname is little more than wishful thinking, as adult crane flies are not predators (of mosquitoes or anything else). This doesn’t mean, however, that crane flies can’t make themselves into a stress-inducing nuisance, especially in the late winter and early spring when the adults are most active.

Picture this: it’s a beautiful March evening, the air has just the right amount of crispness to it as you come home from work and walk up to your front door where you are greeted by several large, awkward insects flying lazily in your path. You’re familiar enough with them to know that they won’t hurt you, so you breeze past them and into your home, not even realizing that you brought several crane flies in alongside you. The sun is beginning to set so you get right to work starting to cook dinner; you’re keeping it simple tonight: spaghetti and meatballs. As the water for the pasta begins to warm up you notice an insect clumsily hovering around the kitchen floor. You roll your eyes and continue dinner prep. A few minutes later, that same insect is now eye-level and heading straight for the light above your stove. You flick it away with the wave of your wrist and grab the pasta to throw it into the water, sighing under your breath as you hear the crane fly make a light clinking sound as it bumps its way along the stove hood. Now that the pasta is in the water you turn your attention to the insect just in time to see it hit the stove light bulb and come crashing down into your simmering spaghetti sauce, its long legs sinking down slowly into what was supposed to be dinner. With a huff, you toss the bug-laden sauce and begin again. As you slide the new pot of sauce onto the burner you catch another crane fly invading your kitchen space. After a moment, you out-maneuver the bug and catch it, releasing it a moment later out your sliding door. Then, just as you turn back to your food, you watch, horror-struck, as another crane fly bounces its way to the stove light and falls, this time into the boiling water with its nearly-cooked pasta. And, as if in spite, as you stare down at the bubbling water which has now fully consumed the insect, another one flies into the wall next to you, grazing your cheek on its way and making you jump. This propels you into action, hunting down each crane fly that managed to find its way indoors. When the house is finally free from these pests you head back to the kitchen and for the third time tonight, you begin dinner prep, all the while on high alert for any sign of flying pests. A little while later, after food has been served and enjoyed, you hear a soft clink and see yet another crane fly bumbling around; with the evening’s stress pouring over you smash the insect and grumble that you are calling pest control in the morning before you go insane.

But what exactly are crane flies and what can you do to keep them from adding unnecessary stress to your life?

What do crane flies look like?

Crane flies are a large fly with a narrow body about one inch long, six spindly legs which can be twice the length of the body, and two long, slender wings; overall, they look like a large mosquito on stilts. They are generally black, red, or yellow depending on the species.

Are crane flies dangerous?

Adult crane flies are completely harmless; in fact, many species don’t eat anything at all as adults, and the species that do feed rely solely on nectar for their meals.

When are crane flies active?

You are most likely to see active adult crane flies in Texas in late winter and early spring, just before mosquito season hits. Large populations are likely to emerge around a particularly wet winter/spring.

Should I be concerned if I see a lot of crane flies?

Fortunately, the crane flies most often found in Texas are not one of the species known for damaging turfgrass larvae. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make the adult crane flies buzzing and bouncing around your home any less troublesome to your peace of mind. It is no small feat to fall asleep, cook a meal, or just relax with these large insects disrupting the sanctuary of your home.

What can I do to prevent crane flies?

The best thing to do to prevent a crane fly issue is to keep good care of your lawn by practicing good irrigation habits, including not over-watering, and to remove any excess debris in your yard; this will make your yard less hospitable for crane fly larvae.

How can I get rid of crane flies?

If you are being inundated with these oversized insects, don’t prolong the headache and suffering, call to get a pest control technician out to your home to help you create and enact a plan to eliminate the pests.

With the first official day of spring just around the corner, expect to see hoards of adult crane flies emerging and taking to the wind, invariably finding themselves at your front door, and then as an uninvited and unwanted occupant of your home. And as with any pest, early detection and treatment is key to controlling the issue and keeping your stress levels down

(And yes, that crane fly scenario did actually happen to me, and I do consider them my most aggravating nuisance pest in Texas)

Additional References:

“‘Mosquito Hawks’ in Your House?” – Karey Windbiel-Rojas (& Andrew Mason Sutherland) – Pests in the Urban Landscape

“Mosquito Hawk? Skeeter Eater? Giant Mosquito? No, No, and No” – Leslie Mertz – Entomology Today

“Crane flies, not mosquitoes” – Mike Merchant – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Author Bio: Alissa Breach has been gaining knowledge and experience around pest control concerns over the last 10 years while working for Mid-Cities Pest Control. She has a creative writing BA from UW-Madison and is always pursuing new and interesting writing projects.

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The season of love

Fills our days with sweet things,

Like chocolates, and flowers,

And big diamond rings.

And with all the romance

A kiss seems just right,

But be careful it doesn’t

Come from a bug in the night.

The Kissing Bug’s name

Might seem tender and sweet,

But its kiss can be deadly,

A fate no one should meet.

Their kiss is a bite,

Not loving at all,

And they hide in your home,

Prepared for nightfall.

And when they attack

You won’t feel a thing,

But you won’t like the damage

These little bugs bring.

While you are showering

You loved ones with care,

Make sure the only kissing

Is the one from your pair.

Fast Facts About Kissing Bugs:

• Size: they range from .75” to 1.25” long
• Appearance: slightly flat teardrop body, dark colored often with a band of orange or red markings around the ends of its body, cone shaped head, and long, uniformly thin legs
• Geographical Location: within the U.S. there have been documented sightings in the entire southern half of the country, with the greatest density being found in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona; Chagas disease became a reportable disease in Texas in 2013 (meaning doctors are required to report incidences when they occur) and saw a significant number of cases in 2016
• Diet: they feed on the blood of a variety of animals including wild mammals, domestic dogs, and humans (they get their name from their habit of biting humans around the mouth & eyes)
• Habitat: they are often attracted to heat and carbon dioxide, which are indicators of potential blood meal sources; they are also drawn toward lights
  • Indoors: in cracks and holes within homes and especially in and around beds/bedrooms particularly under or near mattresses or night stands, and near pet resting areas
  • Outdoors: dog kennels, under porches, under cement, in rock/wood/brush piles, in animal burrows, and in rodent nests
• Active Times: nighttime
• Dangers: they are a vector for Chagas Disease, with approximately half of the population of kissing bugs being infected with the Chagas parasite
• Chagas Disease:
  • Transmission: the Chagas parasite is transmitted when a Kissing Bug bites a host and then defecates near that bite or when a dog consumes an infected Kissing Bug
  • Symptoms in Humans: there are 2 phases of Chagas disease in humans, the acute phase and the chronic phase
    • Acute Phase: lasts for a few weeks or months with symptoms including fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, rash, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting; not everyone infected will develop the acute disease
    • Chronic Phase: includes cardiac complications (i.e. enlarged heart, heart failure, altered heart rate, cardiac arrest, and death) and/or intestinal complications (i.e. enlarged esophagus or colon, causing digestive difficulties) which may only become apparent decades after the initial infection; approximately 30% of people infected with the parasite are at risk of developing the chronic disease
  • Symptoms in Dogs: many dogs may be asymptomatic after infection, but for some it can cause severe heart disease and death
  • Treatment: there are currently no readily available treatment options in the United States (the anti-parasitic medications are only available through the CDC, and is only applicable for the acute phase) and there is no vaccine for Chagas disease
• If you see a Kissing Bug: never touch it with your bare hand and thoroughly clean all surfaces the bug came into contact with using a bleach solution

Kissing Bug Control:

If a Kissing Bug infestation is suspected, contact a pest control company to evaluate the situation and treat accordingly. The pest control products needed to deter and kill Kissing Bugs should only be applied by a licensed pest control technician; baits, such as roach motels, are not effective against Kissing Bugs.

Kissing Bug Prevention:

• Seal any gaps or cracks around entryways (windows & doors), at walls and roofs, and any that lead into the attic or crawl space
• Remove any wood/brush/rock piles near your home
• Always use fully intact screens on windows, doors, and attic/crawl space vents
• Do not use nighttime lights close to your home if possible; if nighttime lights are needed use lights designed not to attract bugs
• Have pets sleep indoors at night
• Keep kennels clean and periodically check for bugs
• Caulk around opening for plumbing, cables, utility lines, etc.
• Repair any cracks in the foundation
• Utilize fully intact weather stripping

Don’t let the innocent-sounding moniker fool you, Kissing Bugs are not a pest to be taken lightly. With the high potential for spreading a dangerous disease, these pests have a “kiss” you will want to invest in avoiding this Valentine’s Day.

Additional References:

Kissing Bugs & Chagas Disease in the United States – Agriculture & Life Sciences & Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University

Texas Chagas Taskforce Tackles Kissing Bug Disease – Wendy Rigby – Texas Public Radio

Parasites – American Trypanosomiasis (also known as Chagas Disease) – Centers for Disease Control

Author Bio: Alissa Breach has been gaining knowledge and experience around pest control concerns over the last 10 years while working for Mid-Cities Pest Control. She has a creative writing BA from UW-Madison and is always pursuing new and interesting writing projects.

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Christmas has come and gone and we have officially moved into 2019. It’s time to start putting up decorations and preparing homes for cozy evenings spent indoors as long nights and winter weather settle into Texas. But don’t let the chill in the air trick you into thinking that bugs have all gone dormant. Though it’s true that many pests are inactive this month (in fact, now is the perfect time to protect your trees and shrubs from damaging pests that will resume activity in spring and summer; see our May Blog for more on this), there are plenty that can wreak havoc in your home on a peaceful winter night.

Perhaps the most plentiful of these pests are spiders. With over 900 different species of spiders in Texas, it’s safe to say that they are a pest you will regularly encounter. And though some species are simply nuisances, building webs in seldom used areas in our homes, some carry significant danger to anyone on the wrong side of their bite. So as you venture into attics, crawlspaces, closets, and other out-of-the-way places in your home to put up your Christmas decorations, it’s important to be aware of the hidden danger spiders can pose and take steps to minimize the risk of starting off the new year with a trip to the doctor.

The three spiders that tend to garner the most attention in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are brown recluse spiders, black widow spiders, and wolf spiders. In order to best keep yourself safe from these lurking pests, it’s important to learn a bit more about them so you can spot the danger before you feel the bite.

Fast Facts About Brown Recluse Spiders:

• Size: its thin legs extend over an area about the size of a quarter to half-dollar
• Appearance: golden-brown color with a dark violin shaped marking on its back between the eyes and the abdomen
• Habitat: in and around buildings in warm, dry places, especially in areas that are rarely disturbed
• Active Times: most active at night and during the spring
• Dangers: its venom causes decay and death of tissue around the bite
• How to Avoid: shake out shoes before putting them on, wear gloves when cleaning an area with a lot of cobwebs or where you can’t fully visually inspect
• If you see one: try not to disturb it; it will generally only bite when trapped, disturbed or threatened
• If you are bitten: seek medical help

Fast Facts About Black Widow Spiders:

• Size: female’s body length is about 3/8”; male’s body length is about 3/16”
• Appearance: females are shiny and black with a red hourglass pattern on the underside of its abdomen; males are brown and nondescript
• Habitat: protected outdoor spaces such as portable toilets and unused sheds, as well as inside buildings in warm, dry places
• Dangers: venom of the female spiders causes intense pain within a few hours of biting; the pain is generally in the abdomen and back and can last up to 48 hours; males are not dangerous to humans
• How to Avoid: shake out any shoes or gloves kept in storage areas before putting them on, and wear gloves when handling wood piles, mulch, etc.
• If you see one: try not to disturb it; it will generally only bite when trapped, disturbed or threatened
• If you are bitten: seek medical help, especially if the person bitten is a child, elderly, or has pre-existing health issues

Fast Facts About Wolf Spiders:

• Size: 1/2” to 2 inches long
• Appearance: hairy and varies from orange-brown to gray and black with a mottled, almost camouflage appearance; it has 2 tiny arm-like appendages in the front of its body in addition to its standard 8 legs
• Habitat: generally found outdoors in open, grassy areas, or inside around doors, windows, and in garages, but they can be found anywhere there are insects to feed upon.
• Dangers: as with any spider bite there is a possibility of an allergic reaction, but the bite itself is not inherently dangerous, though it can be painful and feel much like a bee sting
• If you see one: DO NOT SQUISH IT! If it’s a female, it carries its eggs on its back and when you squish it, you will release those eggs, causing you to now have hundreds of wolf spiders in your home to contend with. And try not to disturb it; it will generally only bite when trapped, disturbed or threatened

Spider Prevention:

• Reduce the food source for the spiders; aka eliminate other insects from inside and around your home
  • Reduce bright outdoor lighting
  • Be on a regular pest control service plan
• Trim weeds, grass, and shrubs around buildings
• Seal/caulk openings, cracks, gaps, etc.
• Remove any webs and egg sacs when found
• Reduce clutter which can be harborage areas, especially in undisturbed areas
• Use glueboards to catch and remove spiders, especially wolf spiders
• Keep the home cleaned, vacuumed, and dusted

This year, as you wrap up Christmas celebrations and start in on your New Year’s resolutions, consider adding regular pest control to your list and keep yourself safe from lurking spiders.

Additional References:

“Spiders and Their Kin” – Texas Parks & Wildlife

“Venomous Spiders in Texas: Which Two Species to Look Out For” – Jenny Webster Jurica, Texas Hill Country

“This Bites: Venomous Texas Spiders” – Texas Health and Human Services

“Wolf Spiders and Their Bite” – Lisa Jo Lupo – The Spruce

Author Bio: Alissa Breach has been gaining knowledge and experience around pest control concerns over the last 10 years while working for Mid-Cities Pest Control. She has a creative writing BA from UW-Madison and is always pursuing new and interesting writing projects.

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On the first day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
A nest built in my attic.

On the second day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
Two damaged eaves,
And a nest built in my attic.

On the third day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
Three gnawed trees,
Two damaged eaves,
And a nest built in my attic.

On the forth day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
Four baby squirrels,
Three gnawed trees,
Two damaged eaves,
And a nest built in my attic.

On the fifth day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
Five stressed days,
Four baby squirrels,
Three gnawed trees,
Two damaged eaves,
And a nest built in my attic.

On the sixth day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
Six raided feeders,
Five stressed days,
Four baby squirrels,
Three gnawed trees,
Two damaged eaves,
And a nest built in my attic.

On the seventh day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
Seven days of trapping,
Six raided feeders,
Five stressed days,
Four baby squirrels,
Three gnawed trees,
Two damaged eaves,
And a nest built in my attic.

On the eighth day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
Eight points of entry,
Seven days of trapping,
Six raided feeders,
Five stressed days,
Four baby squirrels,
Three gnawed trees,
Two damaged eaves,
And a nest built in my attic.

On the ninth day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
Nine chewed up wires,
Eight points of entry,
Seven days of trapping,
Six raided feeders,
Five stressed days,
Four baby squirrels,
Three gnawed trees,
Two damaged eaves,
And a nest built in my attic.

On the tenth day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
Ten damaged heirlooms,
Nine chewed up wires,
Eight points of entry,
Seven days of trapping,
Six raided feeders,
Five stressed days,
Four baby squirrels,
Three gnawed trees,
Two damaged eaves,
And a nest built in my attic.

On the eleventh day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
Eleven days of noises,
Ten damaged heirlooms,
Nine chewed up wires,
Eight points of entry,
Seven days of trapping,
Six raided feeders,
Five stressed days,
Four baby squirrels,
Three gnawed trees,
Two damaged eaves,
And a nest built in my attic.

On the twelfth day of Christmas the squirrels gave to me
Twelve attic messes,
Eleven days of noises,
Ten damaged heirlooms,
Nine chewed up wires,
Eight points of entry,
Seven days of trapping,
Six raided feeders,
Five stressed days,
Four baby squirrels,
Three gnawed trees,
Two damaged eaves,
And a nest built in my attic.

Fast Facts About Squirrels:

• Tree Squirrel Species Native to Texas: fox squirrel, gray squirrel, and flying squirrel
• Most Common Squirrel Species in the Metroplex: fox squirrel
• Lifespan: 4 to 7 years
• Average Size: 18 to 27 inches long, 1.5-2.5 lbs
• Appearance: brown-gray with orange underbelly and 7 to 14 inch long bushy tail
• Diet: tree nuts, fruit, bark, tree buds, insects, tubers, bulbs, roots, bird eggs, mushrooms, and seeds
• Habitat:
  • In the Wild: tree dens (natural cavities & crotches in trees) and leaf nests, ideally in an area of open forest with mature shade trees
  • In a Home: nests are most often built in attics and chimneys
• Active Times: daytime
• Reproduction: 1 to 2 litters per year: 1 in Spring, 1 in Fall.
  • Babies are born blind & furless and are weaned for approximately 12-14 weeks
• Behavior:
  • Caching of food: they bury shelled foods that are high in fat, such as nuts
    • Often these buried nuts are forgotten and will later grow into trees
  • Solitary and asocial other than during breeding season
  • Large vocabulary consisting of clucking and chucking sounds
  • Can jump 15 feet horizontally and 8 feet high
  • Can land safely from 20 feet high
  • Have 4 front teeth that will continue to grow throughout their lives and are kept in check via gnawing on nuts and other items
  • Can run up to 20 mph
  • Will inhabit a range of about 10 acres per season

Signs of Squirrel Damage:

• Holes chewed in soffits/eaves
• Torn up insulation
• Urine and feces in the attic
• Chewed wiring
• Gnawed tree bark
• Dug up and eaten flower bulbs
• Noises coming from the attic or chimney during the daytime

Squirrel Removal:

Once a squirrel has taken residence in your attic or chimney, the best thing to do is call in a professional to assess the situation and begin a live animal trapping wherein the squirrel can be safely caught and relocated. A technician can also access your home for any entry points the squirrel may have created by chewing through the siding, eaves, and soffit around your attic and go over your options for repair and prevention. Given the length of time of weaning for baby squirrels, it’s especially important to have a professional perform any trapping and exclusion work, so as not to separate the mother from the babies.

Squirrel Prevention:

If you notice squirrel activity in your yard or hear them scampering on your roof, it’s a good idea to make sure you have taken appropriate measures to prevent them from getting into your chimney or attic and causing the need for extensive repair and clean up work.

Below are tips for successful squirrel prevention:

• Trim tree limbs back to at least 8 to 10 feet from the roof
• Place sheet metal bands around the trunks of trees to discourage squirrels from climbing them
• Confirm that any attic vents are properly screened
• Remove any bird feeders from near your home
• Be sure you have a chimney cap installed and in proper condition

This winter, don’t let squirrels crash your Christmas party; as soon as you notice the signs of squirrel damage, call in a professional and let the only noises on your rooftop be from Santa and his reindeer and get back to making your celebrations merry and bright.

Additional References:

“Controlling Tree Squirrels in Urban Areas” – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Squirrels: Diet, Habits & Other Facts – Alina Bradford, LiveScience

“Squirrels” – Texas Parks & Wildlife

Author Bio: Alissa Breach has been gaining knowledge and experience around pest control concerns over the last 10 years while working for Mid-Cities Pest Control. She has a creative writing BA from UW-Madison and is always pursuing new and interesting writing projects.

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