Learning Center

Including mice and rats, rodents can present a number of threats to homeowners. Known to chew through wires, causing electrical fires, transmit diseases, and even track in ticks, it’s always a good idea to prevent these pests before a problem occurs.

One of the most feared pest infestations, bed bugs are small, flat insects that tend to congregate in mattress folds, furniture, carpet, or wall folds. Bed bugs feed on blood obtained through biting their host. Bed bugs do not transmit disease, but their bites can result in red welts, rashes, and hives. They may cause allergic reactions and, in extreme cases, anaphylactic shock.

Contrary to popular belief, spiders are not insects; they are actually arachnids, closely related to ticks and scorpions. Possessing the signature trait of eight legs and known to leave behind webs, spiders are notorious for spooking many homeowners.

There are a number of stinging insects common to North America, many of which pose a threat to your family’s well being. Insects like bees, wasps and hornets can cause painful, sometimes life-threatening stings! It’s important to understand the behaviors and characteristics of these pests, so you can stay safe.

The number one nuisance pest, ants make up the majority of local pest problems. Varying by species, the average colony is made up of anywhere between 300,000 to 500,000 ants. With the capability of surviving more than seven years, it’s no surprise that they are likely to take up residence in your home.

Not only are mosquitoes known for disrupting outdoor activities, but they are also vectors for dangerous diseases. Drawn to standing water and capable of laying up to 3,000 eggs in a lifetime, it’s no wonder that mosquitoes are one of the top nuisance pests in the US!

Causing more than $5 billion in damage to homes across the United States each year, termites are most common in the southern part of the nation, including the Carolinas. Since most homeowners’ insurance won't cover termite damage, professional help and prevention methods are often recommended.

The best words to describe the cockroaches are adaptable, opportunistic, scavengers, and unsanitary. Cockroaches have flat, oval-shaped bodies. Their bodies are dark in color and usually have a shiny or greasy appearance. The cockroach's six legs are generally their primary mode of transportation, though some will use their wings to fly short distances.

Most likely to affect your four-legged friends, fleas can also latch on to human hosts, exposing you to diseases like typhus and tularemia. In addition to applying flea treatment to your pets, it’s also a good idea to safeguard your home.

Closely related to spiders, ticks also belong to the arachnid group. Relying on the blood of their hosts, ticks are likely to move from one mammal to another in order to survive. Due to their transient behavior, these pests are vectors of a number of diseases, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease.

The boxelder bug has a black elongated, oval body and a vibrant orange color outlining its wings. Young boxelder bugs are easy to identify; they are similar in shape to the adults but are smaller and a solid, bright red color. Boxelder bugs were named because they prefer to feed on boxelder trees.

Flies are among the most common and annoying pests. Of the more than 120,000 fly species  throughout the world. Flies carry germs from place to place. Scientists estimate that they transport up to 2 million different types of bacteria. Flies are also responsible for transmitting harmful, and even fatal, bacteria and viruses to animals.

More of a nuisance than a threat, house crickets are omnivorous scavengers that feed on almost anything in sight. Known to destroy both vegetable gardens and clothing, all while producing a repetitious chirping sound, crickets cause quite the disturbance! You can typically find more of these creatures in heavily wooded areas.

Appearing as more of a threat in comparison to other pests, earwigs are more of an eyesore than an actual threat. Though they don’t pose much harm to humans, they are still extremely unwelcomed by homeowners. And for good reason. These pests are most widely recognized for their menacing pincers and scorpion-like thorax.

The number one nuisance pest, ants make up the majority of local pest problems. Varying by species, the average colony is made up of anywhere between 300,000 to 500,000 ants. With the capability of surviving more than seven years, it’s no surprise that they are likely to take up residence in your home.

Fire ants reside in colonies, which often can contain more than 100,000 ants. The average lifespan of a worker fire ant is five months, whereas queens can live up to seven years. In a day, queens can lay thousands of eggs, with fire ants going from larva to adulthood in approximately 30 days. When a colony has a well-fed queen and the colony grows rapidly, queens may leave the colony with worker ants to establish new colonies nearby.

Grasshoppers are found on every continent but Antarctica. Grasshoppers are usually seen as more of an annoyance than a danger, but they actually do pose risks. When they swarm in a large group, they can destroy crops over wide areas which can cause famine or other devastating effects. In the U.S. alone, grasshoppers cause over $1.5 billion dollars worth of damage to crops.

Due to their high reproduction rate and elusive nature, silverfish are some of the most difficult pests to eliminate once they have invaded your home. For this reason, preventative pest control is extremely important. With their appearance matching their name, silverfish probably aren’t something you want to find lurking around your home!