Pest Identification in Arthur, IL

Damage

Termites burrow deep into wood and other natural materials, where they’ll nest and produce offspring that continue the cycle of damage. Through burrowing, they can compromise the integrity of wood structural components, leading to weakness or damage that’s hazardous. Wood affected by termite burrowing loses its load-bearing ability, which can stress it and eventually lead to collapse.

Detection and Treatment

Termite burrows are usually diagnosed by termite droppings, which appear as pellets in front of small bore holes. Termites also leave a distinct burrowing pattern on the wood they’ve infested. If you see any of these signs, call for insect control in Central Illinois immediately. We use Sentricon^® Termite Colony Elimination System, which is more effective than liquid systems and environmentally friendly.

Damage

Mosquitoes are notorious carriers of disease! They’ve been known to transmit everything from West Nile Virus to Zika Virus and more. Even when they’re not carrying disease, mosquitoes will draw blood and leave behind itchy welts and bruises. They’re a nuisance that can drink 2-3 times their own body weight in your blood!

Detection and Treatment

Mosquitoes travel in swarms and are usually seasonal (summer). They lay their eggs in standing water and are attracted to damp areas with moisture. Mosquito abatement starts with drying up standing water and moisture control. Application of an adulticide and a growth regulator on your landscape should be enough to inhibit reproduction, limiting swarm sizes and eventually getting rid of the problem (4-6 weeks).

Damage

Bed bugs will disrupt your sleep and leave you with sores and irritation all over your body as they suck your blood while you sleep! You may wake up with small red spots or bruising, as well as small stains on your bedsheets from bedbug activity. They’ll leave you itching all night and for days after they feed.

Detection and Treatment

If you wake up with red spots or find small red dots in your bed, you likely have bedbugs. These pests are extremely difficult to get rid of! They require a three-pronged approach: Insecticides for bed bug control, steam to control eggs and young nymphs, and heat to kill existing bed bugs. These treatments are spread over 6 weeks to ensure all mature and developing bugs are eradicated.

Damage

Rodents consume and contaminate food. They also gnaw on electrical wires and wooden structures and tear insulation in walls and ceilings for nesting. Rodents can also transmit disease to humans, pets, and livestock. They have been found to transmit typhus, leptospirosis, trichinosis, and salmonellosis.

Detection and Treatment

The presence of mice and rats is usually detected by the damage they cause to food and structures, by their droppings, and by their nests. If you see any of these signs, call a rodent exterminator in Central Illinois immediately. Prevention and pest control involve eliminating all entry points and population reduction by the application of rodenticides and traps.

Damage

Ants cause various types of damage, depending upon the variety. Carpenter ants get their name from their habit of hollowing out galleries in wood for nesting purposes, thereby, resulting in structural damage. Pharaoh ants have been strongly implicated in the spread of serious diseases. All ants contaminate the food they infest.

Detection and Treatment

Ants build massive colonies, so their presence is generally detected when you see trailing ants that have located a food source, or the debris carried out of an exit hole from a nest building process. Treatments involve baiting, insecticide, and sealing off entry to buildings.

Damage

Cockroaches spread human disease by depositing disease organisms on food and utensils. The American cockroach, which comes into contact with human excrement in sewers or with pet droppings, may transmit bacteria that cause Salmonella (food poisoning) and Shigella dysenteriae (dysentery). German cockroaches are believed to be capable of transmitting disease-causing organisms such as Staphylococcus, hepatitis, and coliform bacteria. They also have been implicated in the spread of typhoid and dysentery.

Recent studies have found a strong association between the presence of cockroaches and increases in the severity of asthma symptoms in individuals who are sensitive to cockroach allergens.

Detection and Treatment

Cockroaches may become pests in homes, restaurants, hospitals, warehouses, offices, and virtually any structure that has food preparation or storage areas. These pests are common even in the cleanest of crowded urban areas and older dwellings. Infestations are usually not difficult to discover, because they’re often visible. Treatment generally involves sealing cracks and crevices to block entrance, keeping food and trash areas clean to avoid providing food, and the professional application of insecticide and bait on a regular basis. Click here for more information.

Damage

Fleas are one of the more important groups of insect pests not only because of the discomfort by biting, but they can transmit several diseases such as plague and murine typhus.

Detection and Treatment

It is not necessary to have pets inside the building in order to have fleas present. They can easily be transported inside on pant legs and shoes. Fleas are normally found where animals sleep or frequent but can also be found in buildings that have been empty for several months. Control is a multi-faceted process. Vacuuming plays an integral role in eliminating adult fleas and to trigger the hatching of the pupae. Pets must be protected at the same time of the indoor treatment program. Insect growth regulators and insecticides are used to treat flooring, fabric furniture, and pet bedding areas.

Damage

This is a catch-all group of nuisance pests which may invade homes from time to time. Seasonal changes bring a new weather pattern with changes in temperature, rainfall, and humidity which may benefit one pest species and hurt another. Some insects that are problematic during one or more of these seasons include: bees, hornets, crickets, springtails, attic flies, fruit flies, moth flies, asian beetles, boxelder bugs, earwigs, millipedes, scavenger beetles, etc., etc.

Detection and Treatment

Control and/or prevention may consist of insecticide treatments along with landscaping modifications. Some of these pests, such as the asian beetle, require perimeter treatments in the fall to reduce numbers that accumulate on the siding looking for an entry inside to hibernate for the winter. Scavenger beetles may require outdoor lighting modifications to lower the attraction to the building. Moth flies inside the building usually indicate a sewer problem in the crawlspace or dry drain trap. Each pest presents a unique challenge with different control and prevention method. Click here to learn more about other insects.

Except for poisonous spiders, such as the black widow and the brown recluse, spiders are not harmful to humans. When it’s important to control spiders, chemical control is used, along with destruction of webs and eggs. Since they feed on insects, measures that control unwanted insects will also reduce spider populations. Outdoor lighting during the summer months is a common culprit to increased spider populations. Buildings with light color siding, due the nighttime reflective quality, can increase the spider population on the sides facing the light source. A combination of light manipulation and perimeter treatments may be needed to control the population. Properties with mature trees and large shrubbery will also harbor increased spider numbers. Spider reduction programs may include the treatment of the surrounding vegetation.