Not sure what is crawling around your home? Use this guide to identify the common pests Fort Smith and NWA homeowners deal with every season. Whether you are in the River Valley or Northwest Arkansas, Extermco is ready to help.
Ant infestations are our most common reported pest. They enter your home through any accessible entrance (cracks in your windows, doors, outlets, plumbing, etc) looking for food, water and shelter. If you see these common pests Fort Smith & NWA residents struggle with, call us immediately
Pavement Ants
Pavement ants are a smaller at measuring at 3.5mm and are usually found outside in soil or “pavement” but can occasionally nest inside your home. Contact us to get rid of pavement ants!
Carpenter Ants
The carpenter ant is a wood destroying ant that can be up to 5/8″ long and creates galleries in wood. As they don’t eat the wood you will see frass (sawdust) which is commonly mistaken for termite damage. Get rid of carpenter ants today! Call Extermco!
Little Black Ants
The little black ant is very small (only 2mm). They nest in woodwork inside the home and outside can be found nesting in soil, under rocks, logs, or debris. These are the ants you see “marching” in trails along the foundation of your home. Call Extermco to get rid of little black ants!
Red Imported Fire Ants
Fire ants are now a serious problem in our area. Their mounds can be more than 15″ high and 15″ in diameter. They are EXTREMELY aggressive when disturbed and been known to cause death to livestock and humans. Get rid of fire ants! Call Extermco today!
Bed bugs are small wingless insects that feed solely upon warm blooded animals. Hatchling bed bugs are about the size of a poppy seed and adults are about 1/4 inch in length. From above, they are oval-shaped and flattened from top to bottom.
You can find out if you have bed bugs easily by following a simple inspection protocol yourself. They leave behind signs of their presence, so you just need to know what to look for and how. Inspecting for signs of bed bugs on a regular basis is your best defense against a serious infestation.
Bed bugs are most abundant in rooms where people sleep. They are most active in the middle of the night, but when hungry, they will venture out during the day to seek a host. Call us for tips on how to get rid of bed bugs!
Cockroaches
American Roaches
The American Roach, also known a “water bug” is reddish-brown, about 1.5 inches or longer and winged, but seldom fly. American roaches are scavengers and will eat anything. Sweets are attractive to this roach as well as starchy items like book bindings, and the back of wallpaper.
German Roaches
The German roach is best identified by its small size and by two dark parallel lines running from the back of the head to the wings. They also are scavengers, but are particularly fond of sweets, grease, and meat products. They are mostly active at night as they forage for water and food and hide in cracks and crevices during the day to provide a warm humid environment. If you see these common pests Fort Smith & NWA residents struggle with, call us immediately
Brown Banded Roaches
The Brown Banded Roach is often confused with the German Roach, but its habits are different. They are brought in dwellings in furniture. They are light brown, have two light, irregular bands along their wings, and have two dark, distinctive bands behind their heads.
Oriental Roaches
The Oriental roach is dark brown to black in color and has a glossy body. They prefer dark, moist places. They can be found around decaying matter, in sewers, drains, damp basements, porches and other damp locations. They also can be found outside in bushes and under mulch.
Fleas
Flies
Housefly
Houseflies feed on feces, open sores, sputum, and moist decaying matter such as spoiled food, eggs, and flesh. Houseflies can only eat liquid foods, they spit out saliva on solid foods to predigest it, and then suck it back it. They also regurgitate partly digested matter and pass it again to the abdomen.
Have flies? Call Extermco for treatment options!
Maggot
Rodents are not just annoying; they are dangerous common pests Fort Smith & NWA homes face during the winter. A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the rodent family. The best-known mouse species is the common house mouse, although on occasion the white footed, deer and field mouse may invade your home looking for food and shelter.
Mice only need a 1/4-inch access to enter your home. Mice will enter your home through foundation openings, scurry under door thresholds, & climb walls to get to kitchens, pantries & food-storage areas. Mice have poor eyesight but compensate with a keen sense of hearing & smell to locate food & avoid predators. Call us today for professional rodent solutions.
Scorpions
Spiders are one of the most feared common pests Fort Smith & NWA residents encounter, especially the Brown Recluse. Unfortunately, for the most part, the bad reputation for the spider is well deserved. We have many types of spiders in our area, but the bites of the brown recluse and the black widow can be painful and may result is disfiguring skin ulcers, severe pain, and occasionally life-threatening complications.
Because of the danger, these are the two most asked about spiders in our area. We have treatments available for these, as well as many others.
Brown Recluse
As its name the implies, the brown recluse is shy and not naturally aggressive. Indoors they are most common found in closets, garages, crawlspaces, and attics. Their web is irregular with thick sticky threads, usually in dark “out of the way” corners. The recluse is identified by dark violin-shaped marking on the back of the front portion of the body. Get rid of brown recluses by calling Extermco!
Black Widow
The widow’s venom is reportedly to be 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake. They will spin their webs in warm, dark places, where they’re not disturbed. Common indoor habitats include attics, basements, trash cans, barns, garages, rarely used shoes etc. Get rid of black widows! Contact us for treatment options!
Ticks
Ticks carry several diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other Tick-Bourne diseases. Don’t take your chances!
Got Bugs? Call us today for treatment options!
