Our dedicated team of experts can handle any aspect of home pest control indoor and outdoor. Below is a list of pest services we offer. All of our services are environmentally sensitive pest management for your trees, shrubs and home.
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Detailed Information on Each Pests
Ants
Basic Information
Carpenter ants excavate wooden structures to nest and live, but unlike termites or beetles, they do not actually eat the wood that they damage. While there are several species of carpenter ants, red and black carpenter ants are one of the most common nuisances to buildings and homes.
Carpenter ant nests are difficult to locate, but their presence can be determined by looking for winged ants within the home and sawdust around wooden areas. When large colonies of carpenter ants infest indoors, check walls, pipes and electric wires for their nest. Sometimes, carpenter ant activity can be heard rustling from within a wall void. However, unless ants have already severely damaged it, there is no need to tear a structure down to eliminate a colony of carpenter ants.
Control Methods
Natural carpenter ant pesticides often are baits. These pesticides appear to be a sugary bait. Placed near trails to and from the nest, the bait is brought back to the nest by worker ants, where it is distributed to the queen, the larvae and other workers. At times, a colony will die within a few days as a result of these treatments. However, when satellite nests have been made in separate locations, effectiveness of the chemical could take longer, as workers have to carry the bait back to the entire colony.
Challenges of Control
Among the many carpenter ant pesticides available in stores, boric acid is one of the most readily available products for controlling carpenter ants and other ant species. Although boric acid can be an effective killer of carpenter ants, the bait mixture must be applied according to the label. Unless administered correctly, natural pesticides will not be able to eradicate an entire colony.
Furthermore, due to the satellite nests and the potential for structural damage, it is best to contact a professional pest control service. Pest control professionals can combine chemical and non chemical solutions to ensure that workers, eggs, larvae and the queen of a carpenter ant colony are exterminated.
Bed Bugs
Question: How do you check for bed bugs?
Answer: Checking for bedbugs starts with looking for evidence of bed bugs (cast- molted bug skins, fecal matter, alive or dead bugs). Begin your bed bug inspection at areas within an 8-foot circumference of the bed and any other places occupants may sleep.
Check carefully in cracks, crevices, gaps in bed frames, headboards and footboards, nightstands, edges of carpet, mattress/box spring seams and anything that is stored under the bed. If you don’t find bed bug evidence, broaden your inspection to areas outside the inspected area. Don’t forget to check other areas of the house - where you watch TV, take a nap or anywhere clutter is allowed to accumulate. Use a very bright flashlight.
What do bed bugs look like?
Bed bugs have small, flat, oval-shaped bodies. They are wingless. Adults do have the vestiges of wings called wing pads, but they do not fully develop into functional wings. Adults are brown in color, although their bodies redden after feeding. Full-grown bed bugs move relatively slowly and measure between 4 to 5 mm. Homeowners sometimes have the misconception that bed bugs are too small to see with the naked eye.
When considering bed bugs and disease, the prevalent medical position is they do carry disease organisms, but they are not known to transmit disease. While some sources claim that bed bugs are to blame for the spread of leprosy, Q-fever, oriental sores and brucellosis, these cases are poorly documented.
However, secondary infection may result if someone fails to keep the bites clean and disinfected, leading to swelling and bleeding of the bites. Infections are more likely to develop in children, those with suppressed immune systems and the elderly, especially those who are bedridden and unable to walk. Also, some people bitten by bed bugs have experienced allergic reactions that require medical attention, especially when exposed to numerous bites.
Bed Bug Infestation In Box Springs
The greatest risk posed by bed bugs is the irritation of bites or the psychological concerns resulting in lack of sleep and stress. Bed bug bites do not typically become visible until a day or more after the insect's feeding, if at all, since some people never react to being bitten. In extreme reactions, large wheals can appear. These wheals gradually reduce in size, becoming small, red marks.
Bed bug bites can cause itching and may also result in swelling or blister-like skin inflammations. It is important to note that other non-bed-bug sources can result in skin irritations as well.
If you are experiencing bites or other skin reactions, contact a physician. If bed bugs are present in the home, a pest control professional should be contacted to eliminate them.
Cockroaches
People often blame a cockroach problem on poor housekeeping. While cleaning floors, kitchens, and bathrooms is useful and very important to reduce food sources used by cockroaches, they may get inside and cause an infestation for other reasons. These pests can hitch a ride on infested items brought inside, get indoors via cracks and gaps in the home’s exterior, enter through drains or sewer pipes and a few species of cockroaches can fly inside when attracted to lights.
While cockroaches are one of the most common pest problems, they are also one of the most stubborn. Infestations are hard to get rid of because the insects hide in a host of areas, breed quickly, have a very high reproductive potential and may develop resistance to pesticides.
Cockroaches often taint food with E. coli and Salmonella bacteria, so it’s not safe to ignore these pests. Exposure to cockroach feces and the body parts of dead roaches over time can even trigger allergies and asthma.
Cockroaches can wreak havoc on your home. To win the war in cockroach control, here’s what you should know:
- Entry: Cockroaches can enter your home in many different ways, from the outside through cracks and crevices, vents, sewer and drain pipes. We even bring them in on products like grocery bags, boxes, purses and on our person!
- Ideal Environment: Your home is an ideal breeding ground for certain pest species of cockroaches. With plenty of food, warmth, water and nesting sites, they can remain active all year round.
- Reproduction: Cockroaches reproduce quickly. For every one you see there can be many, many more hiding and multiplying behind your walls.
- Evasiveness: Because cockroaches typically are nocturnal, if you’ve seen one, you probably haven’t seen them all. The few cockroaches you see by day could mean they were likely forced out by overcrowding; a possible sign of severe infestation.
- Allergies/Asthma: The debris created by cast-off cockroach skins, dead bodies and droppings can aggravate allergies, especially in children and sensitive individuals.
- Do it yourself ineffectiveness: Cockroaches are better at hiding than you are at finding them, and their eggs are naturally protected from many over-the-counter insecticides. Without special equipment, materials and know-how, cockroach control can be a losing battle.
Earwigs
Question: Why do I have earwigs in my home? How do I get rid of the earwigs?
Answer: Earwigs in and around the house look dangerous, but they are not aggressive. In spite of their common name, they do not enter ears at night. They are predators of other insects, but will also eat plant material.
Start by inspecting the outside of the house. Remove as many earwig hiding places as possible. Stack firewood on a rack and move it away from the house. Rake mulch and dead leaves away from the foundation—try to make a 12" clear zone. It is sometimes necessary to have trees trimmed to allow more sunshine in the yard.
Make sure exterior doors close tightly and replace any missing weather stripping.
Indoors, eliminate any excess moisture and dampness in the home.
After eliminating these conditions that they find attractive, call your local Orkin branch office. A highly trained Orkin Pest Specialist will come to your home, conduct a thorough inspection and, after assessing the situation, recommend a scientifically proven customized treatment plan that will best fit your needs.
There are over 20 species of earwigs in North America, so there are slight variations in the life cycle of each, but there are also many similarities. As part of the life cycle of earwigs, they undergo gradual metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is the process of changing stages from egg to adult in insects. In gradual metamorphosis, the stages are rather basic: egg, nymphs (stages of juveniles) and adult. Nymphs typically resemble the adults but on a smaller scale. Simple metamorphosis is also called simple metamorphosis. Other insects go through complete metamorphosis and the stages here are egg, larva, pupa and adult. The larva resembles a worm, and later the larva will rest in a pupal stage prior to emerging as an adult.
Usually, only adult earwigs overwinter, or survive the change of seasons into cooler weather. This is probably because the adults are more suited to changing climate and environments. Also, feeding opportunities are less available during the winter, making adults more durable. Typically, the young are full adults by the onset of winter.
Since earwigs undergo gradual metamorphosis, the eggs hatch, and the first instar is the first stage to appear. While it doesn’t look exactly like adults, the similarities are striking. As the earwig grows, it sheds its shell, as the shell is not flexible enough to grow by itself. As the shell is shed, the next instar is soft bodied and usually appears whitish until the shell starts to harden into a darker, more durable and harder shell. The process of hardening and, ultimately, darkening in most cases is called sclerotization, and, as the skin or shell is hardened, it is called sclerotized.
Since earwigs go through several instars, the first instar, second instar, etc., as they move from egg to adults, with adequate food can reproduce during warm weather and emerge as full adults prior to the end of the season.
Fleas
Fleas are small, wingless and about 2.5 mm long. Their bodies are shiny and reddish brown in color, covered with microscopic hair and are compressed to allow for easy movement through animal fur. Fleas do not have wings, although they are capable of jumping long distances.
Identifying a flea infestation can often be simple, while eradicating their population proves much more difficult.
Check your pets
Observe your pet's behavior as a first step:
- scratching - if your pet is scratching excessively, examine the fur.
- skin & hair - infested animals have reddened skin and may lose hair
- dogs - the hind quarters of dogs are most commonly targeted
- cats - and the head and neck of cats are most commonly targeted
Fleas can be seen
If insects can be seen visibly moving between hairs, or if red and black droppings are present on your pet's skin, contact your veterinarian to discuss flea treatment options.
Scratching
If no insects are present but scratching persists, your veterinarian can also help identify other skin conditions which may be causing your pet's discomfort.
What to look for:
- length - fleas are approximately 2.5 mm in length.
- shape - Their bodies are flat and without wings.
- legs - They have six long legs
- jumping - are long and assist them in jumping great distances.
Locating fleas in your pet's fur does not reveal the true extent of the infestation. Eggs, larvae and pupae will also thrive within your home or yard and are difficult to see.
Flea larvae are dirty-white in color and measure 3 to 5.2 mm in length.
Sanitation
Upon identifying an infestation, clean your home thoroughly and treat your pet with veterinarian-recommended products. Linens and pet beds should be washed.
Contact your local pest control expert to discuss customized solutions for your home and extermination options.
Hornets and Wasps
Stinging pests come in a range of shapes and sizes that span multiple insect species. While the common factor is a stinger, body types, colors, and legs vary widely between pests such as bees, hornets, wasps, and even scorpions. These pests can all present problems for you or your home and controlling them begins with accurate identification.
Rats and Mice
Rodents are warm-blooded mammals that, like humans, can be found throughout the world. They have oversized front teeth for gnawing and check teeth, which are adapted for chewing. They chew on a variety of items available to them and cause great damage in and around homes.What do rats look like?
There are numerous species of rats found within the United States, the rats that most frequently create pest issues in homes and businesses include Norway rats, Roof rats and Cotton rats. The Rice rat is also identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a host of hantavirus and therefore noteworthy from a public health perspective.
What do mice look like?
These three species of mice are very similar in both size and weight. They are typically about 5½ to 7½-inches long, including the length of their tail. One of the most obvious distinctions within these species is coloration.
Variety of Flies
There are more than 16,000 species of flies in North America. But they all belong to the order Diptera, meaning two wings. Because they only have two wings, flies land often and therefore can deposit thousands of bacteria each time they land. Our technician will develop a custom plan to help manage these pests. We can provide a solution to keep them in their place and out of your house or business.
Ticks
Tick color varies by species. Adults can be smaller than a sunflower seed (over 1 cm long if engorged with blood), while tick larvae can be less than 1 mm. Ticks have only six legs during their larval stage and eight legs during their nymphal and adult stages.
The disease organisms that cause tick-borne diseases are transmitted through blood feeding by tick larvae, nymphs and adults.
When a tick gets on a host and finds a feeding spot on its host, the tick grabs ahold and pierces its mouthparts into the host’s skin. Many tick species also discharge a cement-like substance that keeps them firmly attached during the blood feeding process. Ticks may secrete saliva that contains an anesthetic compound so the host can't feel that the tick has attached itself. Any pathogen a tick carries may be transmitted to a host during the blood-feeding process.
What Diseases Do Ticks Transmit?
Diseases known to be transmitted by ticks include:
- Lyme disease
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Colorado tick fever
- babesiosis
- tularemia
- ehrlichiosis
- southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI)
- tick-borne relapsing fever
- anaplasmosis
- Powassan disease
- rickettsiosis
- heartland virus
- 64D rickettsiosis
What Illnesses Do Ticks Transmit?
Some of the more common symptoms of tick-related illnesses are:
- fever and chills
- muscle aches
- headache pains
- plus rashes that are symptomatic of several diseases that produce distinctive rashes. Tick-borne diseases that often include rash symptoms include Lyme disease, southern tick associated rash illness (STARI), Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever and ehrlichiosis.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease is the most common disease United States residents may contract from ticks. This disease is caused by a bacterium that is transmitted by the blacklegged tick in the northeastern and north-central United States and the western blacklegged tick, in the Pacific coastal states. Lyme disease is characterized by symptoms such as a circular rash surrounding the bitten area, joint pain, muscle pain, stiffness fever and general bodily pain. The rash associated with Lyme disease normally appears within 3-30 days before the onset of fever and is the first sign of infection. About 70-80 percent of persons who have contracted Lyme disease will develop this rash.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is transmitted by the American dog tick, the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the brown dog tick. The primary distribution of Rocky Mountain spotted fever is in the southeastern and Atlantic coast states, although this disease occurs in varying numbers throughout most of the United States. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and muscle pain. A rash may develop after a few days. In some cases, a rash does not appear at all. If not treated in the first few symptomatic days, Rocky Mountain spotted fever can lead to severe illness or even death.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever may often be misdiagnosed as the flu.
The rash seen with (RMSF) varies greatly in appearance, location on the body and time of onset. About 1 in 10 people with RMSF never develop a rash.In most cases, victims begin developing rashes two to five days after the onset of fevers. Though varying in appearance from case to case, rashes tend to look like small, faint-red spots on the wrists, forearms and ankles. Over time, rashes may spread to the trunk of the body. Sometimes the rash may show up on the palms and soles of the feet.
Ehrlichiosis
This disease is transmitted to humans by the lone star tick’s bite in the south-central and eastern states. The symptoms typically appear 1-2 weeks after being bitten by an infected tick. Since the tick’s bite is normally painless, most people who develop this disease may not even recall being bitten by a tick. Although symptoms may differ from one person to the next, the usual symptoms are fever, headache, chills, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, redness of the eyes and a rash that shows up in about 30 – 60 percent of adults and children, respectively. Severe symptoms of those infected may include breathing difficulties and bleeding.
Babesiosis
Blacklegged ticks transmit babesiosis, which occurs primarily in the northeastern and upper-midwestern states, and the usual symptoms of the disease are flu-like and include fever, chills, sweats, headache, body aches and loss of appetite, nausea or fatigue. Babesiosis infects red blood cells and can cause anemia in some patients.
Tick-borne relapsing fever
Tick-borne relapsing fever is a bacterial infection with symptoms that include repeated episodes of fever, headache, muscle and joint aches and nausea. There are two types of relapsing fever – tick-borne and louse-borne. Common in the western United States, tick-borne relapsing fever is often associated with sleeping in mountain cabins that are infested with rodents. The average person seldom sees relapsing fever ticks because they are primarily "nest ticks" and prefer to feed on hosts that are in their nests or burrows. Infected soft ticks in the genus Ornithodoros and Carios transmit tick-borne relapsing fever.
Colorado tick fever
The disease organism that causes Colorado tick fever is a virus transmitted by the Rocky Mountain wood tick. This disease generally occurs in the Rocky Mountain States at elevations of 4,000 - 10,500 feet. Symptoms include fever, chills, body aches, fatigue, rash and headaches. Although rare, the virus can also be transmitted from person-to-person by blood transfusion.
Borrelia miyamotoi
This disease is transmitted by the blacklegged tick and has a distribution closely related to Lyme disease.
Tularemia
Tularemia is transmitted to humans by three tick species: the American dog tick, the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the lone star tick. Tularemia occurs throughout much of the United States and people can become infected by tick and deer fly bites, skin contact with infected animals, drinking contaminated water and by inhaling contaminated dust. Tularemia is reported to occur in every state except Hawaii.
Symptoms for Tularemia vary depending on how a person contracts tularemia bacteria. Tick-borne tularemia symptoms include high fever and skin ulcers at the site where the tick bite occurred. Also, ulcers are accompanied by swelling of the lymph glands, usually in the armpit or groin and sometimes a rash.
Anaplasmosis
This disease is primarily transmitted to humans by blacklegged tick bites in the northeastern and upper-Midwestern United States and by the western blacklegged tick along the Pacific coast. The typical symptoms include fever, headaches, chills, and muscle aches and sometimes cough and mental confusion. Usually, these symptoms occur within 1-2 weeks after a tick bite. Rashes may occur but are rare. Symptoms vary greatly from person to person and patients rarely have all of these symptoms.
Heartland virus
Heartland virus infection was identified in 2012 and has been identified in fewer than 10 patients throughout the United States, all of whom lived in Missouri and Tennessee. The lone star tick is the suspected vector of this disease. The symptoms of Heartland virus are headaches, muscle aches, diarrhea, loss of appetite and nausea.
364D Richettsiosis
This disease is found in California and other west coast areas where the Pacific Coast tick is found.
Powassan disease
The blacklegged tick and the groundhog tick transmit Powassan disease. Cases of the illness primarily occur in the northeastern states as well as the Great Lakes area. Signs and symptoms of infection can include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, seizures and memory loss.
Rickettsia parkeri
The tick vector of this disease is the Gulf coast tick. This disease was first described and confirmed in 2004 and is now considered to be a tick-borne disease risk in the southern states.
Southern tick associated rash illness (STARI)
STARI is a red rash that expands around the site of a lone star tick bite. The disease occurs in the southeastern and eastern states. Symptoms may also include fatigue, headache, fever and muscle pains. The STARI rash is similar in appearance to the rash of someone who has the early stage rash from Lyme disease. Individuals who contract STARI are more likely to recall tick bites and experience fewer symptoms than Lyme disease patients. Of course, any rash that occurs on a patient should be examined and the cause diagnosed by a medical professional.
Red Meat Allergies
While not actually a classical tick-borne disease, a health-related condition thought to be associated with blood-feeding lone star ticks is severe red meat allergies. This allergic condition is known to occur in Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia and is expanding along with the spread of the deer population up the Eastern Seaboard. This allergy can cause hives and swelling, as well as broader symptoms of anaphylaxis including vomiting, diarrhea, trouble breathing and a drop in blood pressure. Individuals can experience delayed anaphylactic shock four to six hours after consuming red meat. Anyone experiencing anaphylaxis should immediately seek assistance from a physician.
Tick Paralysis
Dermacentor variabilis and Dermacentor andersoni are both ticks that are capable of causing tick paralysis, a condition triggered by a toxin that is released from the tick’s salivary glands when taking a blood meal.
Mosquito
Mosquitoes belong to the same group as the true flies, Diptera. As such, they have a single pair of wings. They typically have long, thin legs and a head featuring a prominent proboscis. Mosquito bodies and wings most often are covered in tiny scales. Adult sizes may range from 3 to 9 mm. While insect sprays and foggers are effective, using them inside a home without carefully following the use directions on the product label can be unsafe. To better control mosquitoes in the house and yard, contact the experts at Shady Lane. Technicians can assess insect risk factors and work with homeowners to reduce mosquito infestations.