Houston Pest Prevention Tips

People live in Houston for many reasons, but one reason that almost everybody has in common is the beautiful mild weather that is found in this area! The warm subtropical temperatures allow people to remain active and enjoy an outdoor lifestyle throughout the entire year. However, one negative that is associated with the beautiful warm weather, is that it also allows insects, rodents, and other pests to remain active year-round as well. The bad news when it comes to living in Houston is that you have to remain vigilant against pests throughout the year to protect your family and home from their negative consequences. However, the good news is that you don't have to do it alone, the Houston pest professionals at Modern Pest Control can help you protect yourself and your family from area pests. Listed below is some helpful information about some of the more common areas pests!

Common Houston Area Pests

Don't know about the pests that live in the Houston area? Here are some of the most common household pest invaders found around Houston:

Ants: As one of the most common insects across the United States, ants can be found everywhere in Texas. They're highly adaptable and intelligent creatures. The most common species of ants in our area include the fire ant, rover ant, tawny crazy ant and the carpenter ant. The large black carpenter ant has the potential to tunnel through a home’s structural wood to create nesting areas; leaving behind costly damages for the homeowner to deal with. Fire ants are small red ants that are highly aggressive and deliver painful bites. Rover ants are very tiny yellow to blackish-brown colored ants; they invade homes in large numbers and are typically attracted to properties with moisture or fungal issues. As their name suggests, tawny crazy ants move in an erratic, zig-zag pattern. These reddish-brown ants invade in huge numbers, have the potential to bite, damage electrical equipment, and displace native wildlife.
Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes grow to about 1/8th of an inch in length; they have an oval, narrow, segmented body. Mosquitoes have long thin legs that hang down when in flight and a very long thin nose (proboscis). Mosquitoes are known for delivering painful, itchy bites. But, did you know that it is only the females that bite? She requires the protein from blood to create her eggs. Female mosquitoes feed on a wide variety of hosts, which means that they have the potential to spread dangerous diseases to both people and animals.
Mice: The house mouse is the most common species of mouse found invading homes in the Houston area. The house mouse’s fur is typically dark gray or black in color, while in contrast, the fur on their bellies is lighter in color. Mice have a long tail, large ears, a pointed nose, and small dark eyes. Mice living inside of a home can cause structural damages, destroy personal property, contaminate food, and introduce disease. Rodents like mice and rats are also known to make their way into homes across the region. While they often come out at night, rodents can be a nuisance due to their filthy nature.
Cockroaches: Cockroaches are found living all across the world, in the Houston area the most common species found include the American cockroach, German cockroach, Asian cockroach, and Oriental cockroach. American roaches are dark red in color and have a distinct yellow figure-eight pattern behind their head. These filthy insects can get into almost any home, especially if you're not careful about cleaning up food scraps and dirty dishes. They like to invade homes with moisture problems. German roaches prefer living indoors; they are tan in color and have black stripes running horizontally down behind their head. Asian roaches are highly attracted to light, are good fliers, and look very similar to German roaches. Oriental roaches are glossy black in color and prefer to live under sinks and around appliances. They all emit a very musty unpleasant odor.
Spiders: Spiders are also a prevalent pest in Texas, with dozens of different species living here. While most spiders aren't dangerous, a few can inflict quite a bit of pain.

Effective pest control for your home calls for quick action. Thus, if you notice any pests in your home, be sure to call up a local commercial and residential pest control contractor for assistance.

Household Pests Can Be Dangerous

While pests like Opossums may be cute to look at, it's good to remember that they are still wild animals, and they can be pretty dangerous. If you see a pest in your home, it’s best to stay away from them and contact a professional.

Many pests can also transmit dangerous diseases. For example, cockroaches spread numerous types of bacteria, rats can carry the bubonic plague, and spiders can inject venom that causes serious health problems.

Pests such as carpenter ants and termites can severely damage a house. They often feed on wood and other structural components of your home, which can be quite costly to repair.

Some pests can also cause bodily harm. For example, a snake can bite or even kill someone if they are bitten. Additionally, raccoons and other wild animals can cause severe injuries if they attack an individual.

As such, you should never try to remove pests yourself. If you spot any in your home or yard, contact a residential professional for home pest control.

Prevention Tips

There are multiple home pest control treatment options to consider when you want to keep pests out of your home. The most effective approach, however, is often a combination of different methods:

Seal off any openings in your home
Remove any potential food sources for pests
Eliminate any places where water can accumulate
Install screens on windows and doors
Use pesticides to kill any existing pests

To help prevent problems with ants, mosquitoes, mice, cockroaches and other pests in your Houston home it is important to inspect the exterior of your home and seal any cracks found in the foundation and exterior walls to help stop them from gaining access inside.

Spaces found around exterior windows and doors should be caulked and door sweeps should be installed on all exterior doors. Chimneys should have tight-fitting caps on them and vents entering your home should have secure covers over them. It is also a good idea to make sure that outdoor trash cans are kept a distance away from the outside of your home and that they have security or locking lids on them. Remove piles of organic debris, garbage, or construction debris from your property, these items have the tendency to attract pests to your property. Trim back overgrown trees and vegetation away from the outside of your Houston home. Inside of your home keep storage areas neat and organized, remove trash on a daily basis, routinely vacuum, keep kitchen and pantry areas clean and tidy; and make sure to wash dirty dishes every day.

While no DIY home pest control products are guaranteed to work 100%, contracting a professional pest control company will give you the best chance of success in keeping your home pest-free.

The Best Form Of Pest Control In Texas

In addition to the above prevention tips, implementing a year-round pest control services from the professionals at Modern Pest Control is the best way to prevent problems with common Houston pests. Our professionals will provide you with the modern, continuous year-round services needed to keep your Houston area property free of dangerous, damaging, and annoying pests. Contact us today to learn which year-round residential pest control service is the perfect fit for your Houston home.

If you require reliable and effective home pest control treatment guaranteed to work, look no further than Modern Pest Control. Our team of experienced pest control professionals can quickly eliminate any pests in your home.

We can also provide you with tips and tricks to help keep pests out for good. Contact us today for a free consultation!