Cockroaches spread diseases that impact your family’s health. Look for dark corners, dust-free areas and gnawing marks to spot an infestation.
Skunks live in dens under decks and sheds, as well as within abandoned armadillo burrows. Their odor can be an issue for many homeowners.
Mosquitoes
A mosquito is a small insect (family Culicidae) that bites people and animals. Female mosquitoes need blood for reproduction, so they attack their host with a sharp mouthpart called the proboscis. It pierces the skin, sucks blood and secretes saliva into your bloodstream. Mosquitoes are attracted to moisture, lactic acid, carbon dioxide and body heat. Some species can transmit diseases such as encephalitis, West Nile virus, malaria, dengue and yellow fever.
Conversations in the vector control room at Pest Control in Fort Worth TX are punctuated by oohs and awws as employees marvel over blue scales on Uranotaenia sapphirina, a mosquito that feeds on earthworms. Workers also ogle a specimen of Psorophora cyanescens, another mosquito that feeds on birds, and examine a sample of mosquitoes with the telltale hum of their wingbeats. It’s a typical workday in a mosquito laboratory, part of a state-wide effort to swat down disease-carrying insects across Texas. After a wet winter, parts of North Texas are seeing an early, fierce mosquito season.
Fleas
Fleas are small blood-feeding parasites that can cause itching in people and pets. They also transmit germs that cause diseases such as typhus and plague.
These pests are able to fly and jump incredibly long distances for their size. They are most often found on dogs, cats and other household pets, but can be brought onto properties by wild animals like raccoons or skunks and then transferred to the home.
Indoors, fleas thrive in warm, moist places such as upholstered furniture and rugs. Regularly washing pet bedding and vacuuming these areas can help control fleas. Outside, removing shade and keeping grass cut short will reduce the area where fleas can develop.
It is important to work with your veterinarian to ensure your pets are on effective flea preventatives and follow proper sanitation. Also, cleaning up stray pet droppings from around your yard and regularly checking second-hand items such as stuffed toys or blankets for fleas will help prevent infestations.
Rodents
Rodents and vermin like rats, mice and squirrels are very common pests in our area. They enter homes and businesses in search of food, warmth and shelter. Rodents cause damage to structures, eat insulation, tear up wall material and chew electrical wires. They also spread diseases to people and pets by contaminating foods with their droppings.
Rodent infestations can begin when the weather gets colder. If you hear scratching noises or find droppings, you likely have a rodent problem.
Keep rodents out by sealing up any gaps or cracks in your home and business. Mice can fit into openings that are as small as a quarter. Rats can squeeze through holes the size of a pencil. Seal utility penetrations with steel wool, hardware cloth or caulk. Properly cover garbage cans and store pet food in rodent proof containers outside. Keep lawns and gardens free of weeds and high grass that can conceal rodent burrows. Protect low decks by placing a barrier under the deck using grid screenings or solid metal flashings.
Wildlife
Raccoons are a common nuisance pest in Fort Worth. They dig through outdoor trash, eat pet food that has been left outside and may even access your home if the doors are left open. They are very smart and well-adapted to suburban life and should be removed as soon as they are discovered. Rats are also common in the city and are most often found nesting in your attic. They can also chew electrical wires creating a fire hazard in your house.
Squirrels in attics are another common problem for Fort Worth homeowners. They will exploit openings in the roof line, loose fascia and soffits, small holes under shingles and attic vents to gain entry into your attic.
They will contaminate your food and also leave feces and urine all over your property. It is important to call Pest Control in Fort Worth TX immediately. A true wildlife removal solution will not only trap the animals but it will also repair all the areas where they entered.
