There are a multitude of pests that are trying to gain entry to your home. As a leader in pest management and prevention, our knowledgable and experienced entomologist and technicians know how to identify any pests on your property. Here are the most common pests we treat for in homes, and the risk they present to your household.
Spiders
Throughout the El Paso Borderplex, the only venomous spiders we deal with are the Black Widow, Brown Widow, and the Brown Recluse.
Black widows avoid light and are usually found in dry, undisturbed outdoor places such as woodpiles, under stones and building materials, and in boxes or trash piles. The black widow is not aggressive when left undisturbed. Black widows harm through their bite - pain is usually immediate, but bites are not always felt. Symptoms of a black widow bite include fever, increased blood pressure, sweating, and nausea.
Brown Recluses have a poisonous bite that causes skin loss accompanied by death of underlying tissues. Their venom's effects are localized at the site of the bite. Typically, a burning sensation is felt and lasts for up to 1 hour. Over the course of the following eight hours, the red and irritated area enlarges and a pus-filled blister forms. Within 24 hours a systemic action may occur - symptoms are fever, malaise, gastrointestinal cramping, nausea, and vomiting.
Ants
Ants are never an enjoyable guest, but are generally harmless. However, Red Imported Fire Ants can cause severe pain from their bite. These ants originate from South America and were introduced into the U.S. between 1933 and 1945. Today, they occupy most of the Southern United States.
Rodents
Believe it or not, rats and mice are pretty common in the desert! They enter homes in search of food and shelter. They contaminate as much as 10x the amount of food as they eat with their urine and droppings. They are currently known to carry at least 30 diseases, including Typhus and Bubonic Plague. These diseases can be spread directly to humans, through contact with their droppings, handling of dead rodents in traps, and rodent bites. Rodents can also carry ticks, mites, or fleas that make contact with humans and spread infection.
Rats can fit in holes half an inch wide and mice can make it through 1/4 inch wide holes, making it easy for them to access your attic, crawl spaces, dryer vents, etc. Rodents are generally nocturnal animals, with peak activity occurring shortly after dusk and again just before dawn. Inside structures, however, they become active within about an hour after human activity has calmed down.