Pest Identification In College Station, TX

Cockroaches are scavenging insects. Because these pests can live in almost any environment and feed on nearly anything, are why these pests are such a significant problem around our homes and businesses. In Texas, there are three main species of cockroaches that cause issues for people; the German cockroach, a small species that lives indoors, the large American cockroach that lives both inside and outside our structures, and the Oriental cockroach, a shiny black roach that prefers to live in areas with plenty of excess moisture. No matter the species, none should be allowed to live with people because cockroaches spread diseases, contaminate food, and trigger allergies and asthma attacks in those susceptible.

Cracks in foundations, spaces around utilities, and vents and drains are all used by cockroaches as entry points into our homes or commercial facilities. German cockroaches move from place to place inside things like boxes, deliveries, grocery bags, furniture, and electronics. In multi-unit buildings, they move between walls and floors using wires and pipes as a makeshift highway. Other cockroaches, like American and Oriental cockroaches living outside, often find their way indoors while searching for food or if the weather becomes unsuitable. Once cockroaches get inside, they move to dark, secluded areas where they hide during the day and emerge at night to feed and breed, quickly taking over our structures. 

Use the following tips to help prevent problems with cockroaches that want to make your Texas property into their new home:

• Keep your yard free of food debris. Keep lids on trash cans, maintain gardens, pick up uneaten pet food, and keep outdoor eating areas clear of leftover food.
• Fix leaking pipes, dripping faucets, and clogged gutters that allow water to build up in and around your home.
• Keep drawers, closets, basements, and other storage areas free of clutter and debris where cockroaches can hide.
• Inside your home, limit a cockroach's access to food by washing dirty dishes, taking out the trash, sweeping floors, and restricting eating to the kitchen and dining areas.

D. Lee Pest Services can help you keep cockroaches out of your home or business! Partner with us today for cockroach control and other residential and commercial pest control services.

Mosquitoes are biting insects and thrive in warm temperatures (above 80 degrees) and lots of standing water. Mosquitoes are vectors of numerous diseases and parasites and are a significant threat to both people and animals. It is the female mosquito that we take most issue with, as they are the ones to bite us and feed on our blood. Female mosquitoes require blood meals to produce viable eggs. Male mosquitoes do not feed on our blood; both males and females feed on plant nectar and other sweet liquids as their primary food source. Mosquitoes have an oval-shaped body, six legs that dangle below them when flying, and they give off buzzing sounds created by their wings as they pass near us.

Warm wet weather allows mosquitoes populations to thrive, which is why these pests are always associated with the summer months, but in Texas's climate, they are a problem throughout much of the year. Females lay their eggs on top of standing water inside natural and man-made containers. Ponds, marshes, tree stumps, mud puddles, buckets, flower pots, pools, trash cans, the tops of tarps, and similar areas collect water; if your property is located near or has a lot of standing water, you will experience problems with large populations of mosquitoes. These biting pests tend to stay near the areas they hatched from but can travel quite a distance searching for food and breeding sites. Controlling and preventing mosquitoes is difficult; partnering with a professional is the best way to manage these biting pests and stop them from overtaking your outdoor space.

Use the following tips to help prevent problems with mosquitoes that want to make your Texas property into their new home:

• Remove from your property what mosquitoes love most: standing water. Store buckets upside down when not in use, fix low lying areas, and keep gutters clear.
• Make sure if you own a pool or other man-made water feature, the water is circulating and treated appropriately.
• Remove brush piles, leaf piles, or grass piles from your yard that collect water.
• Always place screens in doors and windows to keep mosquitoes from moving inside.
• Remove debris from your yard that could allow water to collect.
• Keep vegetation and grass on your property well maintained. Mosquitoes rest in dense vegetation.

To begin reducing mosquito populations on your Texas property, contact D. Lee Pest Services today. Our professionals will be happy to inform you about our comprehensive mosquito control options.

The brown bark scorpion is one of the most common scorpion species living throughout the United States. It is important to have a general idea of what they look like in order to avoid contact with them. Adult bark scorpions grow between two and a half and 3 inches in length and have a brownish-yellow body to tan in color. They have a slender curved tail and large thin claws. These scorpions are also able to be identified by their ability to climb up surfaces. Scorpions can live for long periods without food, but they cannot live without a source of moisture. Things like leaky pipes, dripping air conditioners, clogged gutters provide these pests with the water they need for survival.

Scorpions are predators and feed on a wide variety of prey. They make themselves at home on any property that provides them with lots of insects, spiders, and other prey to hunt. Brown bark scorpions prefer to live in areas with plenty of shelter and moisture. Avoiding brown bark scorpions is essential; the venom they possess to paralyze prey with is strong enough to cause health problems in people. If stung by a brown bark scorpion, you should seek medical attention to treat the symptoms. Places in and around our homes that scorpions like to hide include behind tree bark, under rocks and logs, rock walls, in gardens and flower beds, on walls, in tubs or sinks, in piles of folded laundry, and storage boxes.

Use the following tips to help prevent problems with scorpions that want to make your Texas property into their new home:

• Remove debris from your yard that scorpions can hide within.
• Wipe away excess moisture from sinks and tubs.
• Fix leaky pipes and air conditioners.
• Ensure that gutters and downspouts are free of debris and direct water away from the outside of your home.
• Repair openings in your home's exterior and replace worn weather stripping and damaged trim.
• Take care when gardening or reaching into boxes or other storage areas where scorpions often hide.

A type of arachnid, spiders, are an essential component of our eco-system. Wolf spiders, brown recluse spiders, and black widows spiders are common in our area of Texas, and their predatory feeding habits help control populations of flies, mosquitoes, aphids, and other problematic pests. Yards with gardens, overgrown landscaping, ponds, clogged gutters, and dripping faucets are attractive to both spiders and the insects they feed on. Spiders are identified by their two body sections, eight legs, and many eyes. Spiders catch prey in webs or by running after them. The silk produced by spiders is used by some to build webs; others wrap prey up with it or use it to line their burrows. Some favorite spots for spiders to build webs or burrows include trees, in woodpiles, under decks or rooflines, under shrubbery, or in the ground under mulch.

Most spiders, including wolf spiders, are nuisance spiders and pose no harm to people. However, spiders living in Texas that do pose a threat to people are the brown recluse and black widow. A bite from either spider will deliver venom that is potent enough to trigger health problems. Luckily spider bites are rare as they are shy and do their best to stay out of our way; bites from any spider, dangerous or not, are typically an accidental occurrence. Spiders will find their way onto a property that offers them shelter and plenty of food to hunt. Spiders prefer to live outside, but often find their way into our homes when food becomes scarce outdoors or while searching for a dark, quiet place to place their eggs.

Use the following tips to help prevent problems with spiders that want to make your Texas property into their new home:

• Remove leaf piles, woodpiles, fallen trees, and other debris from your yard.
• Keep grass on your property cut short.
• Seal cracks in the foundation or exterior walls of your home to keep spiders from crawling into your home.
• Turn off exterior lights as much as possible or use a motion detector to avoid attracting large numbers of insects to your home.
• Keep storage areas free of debris where spiders could hide.