Pest Frequently Asked Questions

• Recently I have discovered tiny black ants in my master bathroom even though I sprayed insecticide throughout my home twice last summer. What can I do to get rid of them?
• While recently looking in some old boxes, we found hundreds of tiny white larvae with red heads, all wrapped in loose webbed cocoons attached to the papers. They really resembled maggots though we’re questioning where they could be getting their food. Could these be some type of beetle larvae?
• I’ve had centipedes in my house for years and have been unable to find an effective method to get rid of them. Can you provide any suggestions that will result in their permanent elimination from my home?
• I recently found a black widow spider and sprayed it with a 9-month chemical border, Hot Spot. Though the spider looked dead, after putting it in a container I realized it was actually still alive. I’ve since sprayed it approximately 10 times to test its effectiveness. What is the best way to rid our home of black widows?
• I may have killed a brown recluse spider. Are you able to verify its identity?
• What can I do to eliminate snakes on my property?
• Can an infestation of bedbugs in an apartment spread to other apartments in the same building?
• Recently, we found brown recluse spiders in our home. What we can we do to eliminate them?
• We have an infestation of biting mites we believe to be either bird or rodent as they were brought in by our dog. We attempted to freeze the mites out by keeping our heat off in the winter months. Although this did reduce their numbers, they still are not completely gone. Would fumigation be the next step in eliminating these mites?
• We have what we believe to be hornets, coming from holes in the ground and infesting our flowerbed. How can we eliminate them?
• We've been finding small, 3/8" long moths in our house. Last fall, we also had a problem with 1/2” long worms on our kitchen ceiling. Can you tell us what kind of moths these are and how they can be eliminated? Also, are they most likely originating in the kitchen?
• Besides traps, what else can be used to eliminate moles?
• I recently discovered through setting traps in the bathroom, living room and kitchen that I have brown recluse in my home. I have caught about eight recluses in these traps and would like to know what you would recommend for treating this type of infestation?
• I am currently experiencing a problem with springtails that have chalked my windows. Is there anything else that I can do or a product that I can apply both internally and externally?
• We are currently having a problem with daddy long-legged spiders in our home. They seem to be everywhere and each time I kill one, they come back in greater numbers. How can I permanently remove them?
• What are the signs of a termite infestation and what type of damage do they cause?
• Are there any warranties given after a termite treatment is performed?
• How long can it typically take to completely eliminate termites?

Recently I have discovered tiny black ants in my master bathroom even though I sprayed insecticide throughout my home twice last summer. What can I do to get rid of them?

We hear this story every day. The ant in question is more than likely the odorous house ant. These ants live in colonies of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands and efforts to control them can be frustrating for the homeowner (and professionals for that matter).

During the winter months, odorous house ants live in micro-environments in homes especially where there are "warm zones" (e.g., next to heat ducts, behind brick veneer on south facing walls and so forth). Start by trying to "trail" the ants in warmer months. Many times they are foraging on the exterior of the home in search of food. These particular ants do not nest for long periods of time and are considered "vagabonds."

Leaf litter on plants, beneath mulch, and in landscaping areas are considered prime habitat for the odorous house ant. Look in landscaping lights, edging, and beneath landscaping stones...they will nest almost anywhere! To locate odorous house ants inside your home during the winter months, you want to think "warmth". Great places to start your inspection are warm zones like south facing windows, next to heating ducts, and in crawl spaces.

If you have live plants, inspect them for aphids, or plant-feeding insects and apply soapy water to remove them. In the summer months, exterior perimeter treatments with residual insecticides seem to work well, but you will need to find as many ant nesting sites as possible and treat them. In addition, use ant baits (e.g., Terro) along trails of ants. Baits don't seem to eliminate them but keeps them foraging outside.

In winter months, I like to use baits to eliminate the foraging ants in conjunction with residual insecticides near suspected ant trailing areas. If all else fails, you may want to hire a professional. Odorous house ants can be difficult to manage and elimination can prove to be a challenge for even the most seasoned pest professionals. In fact, we have a few homes that have "chronic" odorous house ant infestations!

While recently looking in some old boxes, we found hundreds of tiny white larvae with red heads, all wrapped in loose webbed cocoons attached to the papers. They really resembled maggots though we’re questioning where they could be getting their food. Could these be some type of beetle larvae?

These sound like the larvae of case making clothes moths (or possibly the webbing clothes moth). Clothes moths generally feed upon wool or other natural fibers. Check woolen clothing, carpets, felts, old insulation, lint from wool rugs and pet hairs, animal hides and mounts, even stains from organic materials like juices, urine and sweat.

Identifying and removing infested materials helps but the larvae tend to scatter away from the source to pupate. Physical removal of all larvae and adults is a great first step. Targeted applications of residual insecticides may be needed, especially if the infestation originates in an inaccessible area (like an old mouse or bird nest in a wall void).

I’ve had centipedes in my house for years and have been unable to find an effective method to get rid of them. Can you provide any suggestions that will result in their permanent elimination from my home?

Centipedes reside in cracks and crevices and voids so its best to treat under your baseboards with a residual dust product (either silica gel or diatomaceous earth). Spot treatments with water-based residual products in basements, crawlspaces and around the exterior perimeter will also help.

Indoors, centipedes are often established in moist areas, so check around all water and drain lines as well. Outdoors, remove potential harborages around your foundation like leaf litter and wood piles and treat under landscape timbers and stones and gutter downspouts. Be sure to seal any gaps that penetrate your foundation, such as around utility lines, and be sure foundation vent screens are sealed.

I recently found a black widow spider and sprayed it with a 9-month chemical border, Hot Spot. Though the spider looked dead, after putting it in a container I realized it was actually still alive. I’ve since sprayed it approximately 10 times to test its effectiveness. What is the best way to rid our home of black widows?

Most residual chemicals kill slower than contact kill sprays. If it has only been a matter of minutes, it may still be alive. It is also possible the product had separated and you needed to agitate it before use. You also must remember that most insecticides work on the insect's (or arachnid's) nerve receptors. What you see as movement may only be the firing of unblocked nerve signals if it is only the random twitching of a leg.

Black widows in our area are more active on the exterior so any treatment program must also include outside entry points and the perimeter. No product, over the counter or professional, will last nine months at effective levels for black widows inside or out. Extensive routine cleaning indoors to remove their webs (food source) is also important. The best way to rid your home of black widows is to sign up for Action Pest Control's TermaPest Service.

I may have killed a brown recluse spider. Are you able to verify its identity?

Yes, we perform free identifications. If no one is available when you come by, you can leave the specimen and someone will call you. You can check our branch locations and office hours here.

We also perform free home inspections if you would like to have us come to you. That way we would already be at your home to inspect it for other activity. You can give us your contact information on our website's Schedule Service section to take advantage of that option.

What can I do to eliminate snakes on my property?

It depends on the species and where they are causing a problem. Small, non-venomous species like garter and rat snakes entering a structure are relatively harmless but still an unwanted pest by their presence.

Good exclusion (pest-proofing) will work here. Seal up any holes around utility penetrations, foundation vents, under the base of siding and in roof soffits. If these species are causing a stir in your flower bed or garden, there are commercial snake repellants available.

Efficacy varies with these products and reapplication is often necessary. Large snake glue boards are available for purchase, which usually result in the death of the snake. Additionally, wildlife control specialists can remove the animal if you do not feel comfortable doing so yourself. These highly trained individuals should always be used in the case of venomous species, like timber rattlesnakes.

Can an infestation of bedbugs in an apartment spread to other apartments in the same building?

Yes it can. They will migrate in search of 'food', a blood meal, especially if the apartment becomes vacant. They may also be 'repelled' by certain types of pesticide application. They can simply walk under doors or follow utility and other structural lines through walls. It is important that all infested units and all surrounding units (above, below and all sides) all be treated for best results.

Recently, we found brown recluse spiders in our home. What we can we do to eliminate them?

Brown recluse spiders are difficult to eliminate and it can take time before results become visible. Sticky-board traps are one of the best tools to help aid brown recluse control within your home. While treatments with insecticides can help, traps seem to be more effective at controlling this secretive spider.

In order to control brown recluse spiders, place as many traps in your home as possible and keep storage areas neat and organized to reduce their breeding habitat. Place the traps in garages, attics and crawlspaces if possible. Remember to be patient, as it will take time.

We have an infestation of biting mites we believe to be either bird or rodent as they were brought in by our dog. We attempted to freeze the mites out by keeping our heat off in the winter months. Although this did reduce their numbers, they still are not completely gone. Would fumigation be the next step in eliminating these mites?

First of all you need to be certain that biting mites are in fact causing the infestation you’re experiencing. You might want to consider more conventional pesticide applications, such as broadcast applications to your carpet and furniture before anything else. This consists of first steam cleaning your carpets and furniture.

You also need to know where the mites on the dog came from and then appropriately treat the dog since it is potentially carrying these insects into your home. Eliminating the source is key to controlling the infestation in the long term. Because fumigations are very expensive and provide no residual control, we would be happy to provide a free consultation on some of the more conventional methods to help solve your problem.

We have what we believe to be hornets, coming from holes in the ground and infesting our flowerbed. How can we eliminate them?

These are most likely cicada killer wasps. Dusting the entrances to their burrows with any insecticide dust is the most effective method of control. Try to cover any patches of bare soil to discourage their digging next season. You may also have a few offspring hatch out next year. Try to dust them as early as possible next season to avoid another repeat.

We've been finding small, 3/8" long moths in our house. Last fall, we also had a problem with 1/2” long worms on our kitchen ceiling. Can you tell us what kind of moths these are and how they can be eliminated? Also, are they most likely originating in the kitchen?

The moths are called Indian meal moths and they are often found in grain or grain-based products. Typically Indian meal moths are found in cereals and grains but can also be found in pastas, dog food, cat food, dry mixes, nuts, bird seed, breads and anything else made from these products.

The "worms" you were seeing is the larval stage of the Indian meal moth. They typically find their way to the wall/ceiling juncture to pupate (stage they develop into adult moths). They also pupate in the infested materials and in cabinets.

The best way to eliminate them is to find the material they are infesting and discard it. You may have to go through all of your cabinets and open all likely infested materials such as dog food, rice and so forth. Another thing to look for is material with pin-sized holes in them as the Indian meal moth larval stages can chew their way into them.

Besides traps, what else can be used to eliminate moles?

Mole traps are very effective for controlling mole populations. Until recently this was the only real option available. However, Bell Laboratories has introduced a mole bait called Talpirid, which has been proven effective at killing moles. It is available for purchase for do-it-yourselfers or you can sign up for Action's mole control service.

I recently discovered through setting traps in the bathroom, living room and kitchen that I have brown recluse in my home. I have caught about eight recluses in these traps and would like to know what you would recommend for treating this type of infestation?

We have a comprehensive bimonthly management program of inspection, monitoring and varying, targeted product applications based on the biology and life cycle of the brown recluse population within your home. We target different stages of recluse development with products tailored for most effectiveness.

We also will identify and focus on preferred breeding areas to reduce their reproductive capacity. For more information and a free inspection, please visit the 'Schedule Service' section of our website or call your local Action branch location.

I am currently experiencing a problem with springtails that have chalked my windows. Is there anything else that I can do or a product that I can apply both internally and externally?

We recommend using crack and crevice desiccant dust formulations indoors and granular insecticide formulations along your foundation outdoors. However, be advised that insecticides usually only offer a temporary solution to springtails. Additionally you can reduce relative humidity to below 45-50% and remember that air conditioning alone may not accomplish that.

The problem could also stem from too much moisture trapped under your home. For instance, a leak under a slab foundation or high humidity in a crawlspace could be an example of this. Eliminating the moisture source is key to the long-term control of springtails.

Is there anything unique about the exterior of your home? For instance, does rainwater collect near your foundation? Do your gutter downspouts empty next to your home? If you have a crawlspace, have you considered a closed crawlspace system?

We are currently having a problem with daddy long-legged spiders in our home. They seem to be everywhere and each time I kill one, they come back in greater numbers. How can I permanently remove them?

For long-term control, you need to limit their ability to get inside. Exclusion (i.e. sealing entry points such as gaps around doors and windows from outdoors or around lights and ductwork indoors) keeps both the spiders out and other insects they prey upon for food.

Sanitation is another critical element since many spiders’ species are passive hunters, dependent upon their webs to capture prey. By removing their webs they will either have to leave or starve to death. Harborage reduction is the third element of elimination.

Clutter in a home gives them many undisturbed places to hide. Excessive clutter outside gives them habitat adjacent to your home. Due to a spider's physical structure, spraying is often only a short term solution without these other non-chemical controls.

What are the signs of a termite infestation and what type of damage do they cause?

Reproductive (swarmer) termites usually emerge from late March to early June. Swarmers resemble winged ants with straight antennae, a broad waist, and both pairs of wings equal in length. Swarmers are attracted to sunlight and are usually found around windows.

Additionally, mud tubes on your foundation, sill plate, or header and floor joices are signs of a termite infestation. Tapping or probing with a screwdriver can locate damaged wood. Also, be sure to remember that termite galleries in wood are mud-filled and run with the grain.

Are there any warranties given after a termite treatment is performed?

Depending on your structure and treatment selection, Action offers a variety of warranties ranging from retreatment to complete damage repair.

How long can it typically take to completely eliminate termites?

Time to elimination depends upon the control product you select. We recommend Termidor, a non-repellant termiticide with an unsurpassed track record of successful long term control. However, it can take up to 90 days to fully eliminate termite activity in a structure. Not to worry though, even the largest termite colonies could do little more damage in that period.