What You Need To Know About Pests In Sulphur Springs, TX

We want to help you maintain a pest-free home. One of the best things you can do to keep pests from taking over your home is to learn about them. The more you understand their behaviors and preferences, the easier it will be to keep them away from your Sulphur Springs property. 

Ants

Many ant species live worldwide, most away from people. However, some species have adapted to living with people; while most are mainly a nuisance, some pose more significant risks to people and property. Examples of dangerous ants in our area include carpenter ants, fire ants, and pharaoh ants. 

Ants are one of the most frustrating pests that homeowners deal with regularly. Our properties provide them with plentiful amounts of food, nesting sites, and water. They flock to pet food, open trash cans, and crumbs around eating areas. Partnering with a professional to identify the ants on your property is key to quickly removing these pests.

Here are some simple tips to prevent ants from moving into your home.

• Make sure door sweeps and weather-stripping are intact.
• Use caulk to seal cracks in your home's foundations.
• Seal gaps around wires, cables, and pipes entering your home.
• Eliminate food odors by practicing proper food storage, keeping lids on trash cans, and regularly cleaning your home.

Don't deal with an ant infestation alone; call us today for ant control near you!

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are flat, biting insects about the size of an apple seed or lentil. They feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They are closely associated with people, our homes, and businesses because our blood is their preferred food source. Bed bugs have adapted to living with people and spread quickly and easily from structure to structure by hitchhiking in luggage, bags, secondhand items, and furniture. 

Knowing the signs of a bed bug infestation is vital so you can get help for a bed bug problem sooner than later. While bed bugs are most well-known for their bites, they aren't the most reliable sign. Most people don't react to their bites, and bed bug bites look similar to other insect bites. Common signs of a bed bug problem include:

• Discovering blood drops or dark steaks of bed bug excrement on mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture, pillows, and walls.
• Finding dead bed bugs or their shed skins.
• Smelling a sweet, musty odor in your home (large infestation).

Bed bugs are challenging to prevent because you can come into contact with them almost anywhere. The best way to avoid a full-fledged bed bug infestation in your home is to partner with a professional and schedule a routine pest inspection. For the best pest control for bed bugs near you, call today!

Fleas & Ticks

Fleas and ticks are outdoor pests that regularly enter our Sulphur Springs yards. While ticks are arachnids and fleas are insects, they have many things in common:

• The sole source of nutrition for both comes from the blood of warm-blooded animals.
• Their primary mode of transportation is hitchhiking, and they are external parasites. 
• They spread diseases that can cause severe illness.

Sharing your yard with fleas and ticks is not only annoying but dangerous. Flea bites produce itchy rashes, and ticks embed themselves in your skin to feed over several days. As fleas and ticks feed on their host's blood, they can spread diseases that can cause severe illness. Additionally, itching or picking at their bites can lead to secondary infections. 

Because fleas and ticks are typically introduced onto our properties by wild animals keeping them away can be frustrating. Making your yard less attractive to fleas, ticks, and wild animals is key to keeping these pests at bay. Keep the grass cut short, prune back landscaping from your home, remove bird feeders, and pick up uneaten pet food. 

Rodents

If a rodent is going to find its way to your Sulphur Springs property, the two most likely culprits would be the roof rat and house mouse. Both are types of rodents that are known for their agility and ability to move through small spaces. Rats and mice have learned over time that living with people benefits them as our indoor and outdoor spaces offer them year-round access to their basic needs. 

Though rodents like mice and rats may feel comfortable sharing our homes with people, people aren't excited to share their homes with unwanted rodents. Rodents have sharp front incisors they use to chew through and damage food containers, cabinets, furniture, wires, and more. As rodents travel through our homes, they contaminate food and surfaces with bacteria, parasites, and other human pathogens. 

The following tips will help you to persuade rodents to live somewhere other than your property. 

• Keep trash and compost bins inaccessible to rodents by using tight-fitting lids
• Remove construction debris, excess woodpiles, and other harborage areas from your yard.
• Repair leaky pipes and fixtures that offer a water source for rodents.
• Fix openings in your home's exterior from the foundation to the roofline that offer entry points.

For rodent control in Sulphur Springs, partner with the experts at Angler's PTC.

Spiders

Spiders are arachnids and creatures that many people fear. Movies, books, and TV will have you believe spiders are problematic villains. However, the reality is that the benefits of spiders far outweigh their negatives. Spiders are predators and help control insect populations that can harm people and plants. They are often known as a garden's best friend!

While spiders can bite people, very few do. Most spiders possess venom glands that they inject with their fangs; however, in the U.S., there are only a couple of species of spiders with venom potent enough to harm people. Dangerous spiders in our region are the black widow spider and brown recluse spider – both require fast action to remove them from your indoor or outdoor spaces. 

To help you prevent spiders from overtaking your property, here are some simple spider prevention tips:

• Remove spider webs as you come across them in your home.
• Keep outdoor lights off when not needed. 
• Implement a year-round pest control service that will limit spider food sources (insects) in and around your home.

Control spiders with our help; call today!

Termites

Subterranean termites are the most widespread termite species in Texas and, therefore, the most destructive. These termites live in large groups, invade properties in large numbers, and are difficult to control and eliminate. When it comes to termites, being proactive is vital because of the destruction they can cause to homes and other manmade structures. Across the country, each year, termites cause more than five billion dollars in damage. 

Subterranean termites live outside and nest under the ground in damp soil. Each day, the workers leave the nest to forage for food. Termites get all their nutritional needs from cellulose that is found in wood and other materials made up of plants. Because most houses are constructed mainly from wood, our homes provide termites with an ideal food source. 

To prevent future issues with termites, use the following tips.

• Seal cracks and crevices in your home's foundation.
• Do not overwater gardens and flowerbeds. 
• Remove dead trees, fallen branches, and other wood debris from your property.

Be proactive; call us today to begin protecting your property against termites and their damage.