Our Pest Library

Ant infestations are the most common. They can be attracted to the smallest crumbs of food, mold, and rotting wood. Sugar, cheese, meats, oil or grease, vegetables, and even other dead insects can attract ants. Once they have found a source for food and water, they will start to make themselves at home. 

 It's important to catch an ant infestation early on, as they breed and grow into adult ants quickly. Ants can come in through tiny cracks in your doors and windows.

There are four common species of ants in the United States: carpenter ants, red imported fire ants, pavement ants, and pharaoh ants.

Carpenter ants are attracted to damp wood but can damage dry wood all the same. They do not eat the wood, but they use it for nesting. They are about 5/8" long. 

Red imported fire ants make large nests. They have painful stings, and they will vary in size from around 1/8" to 3/8".

Pavement ants have a fitting name, as they make their nests in the cracks of pavement. They have been known to infest buildings quickly.

Pharaoh ants are usually found in heavily populated buildings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants, or apartment buildings. They can carry and transmit Staphylecoccus and Psuedomonas.

The professionals at Colwell Termite & Pest Control will find out what kind of ants are infesting your home, as that is important to know when preparing to permanently eliminate the issue. For example, to the untrained eye ants with wings can be mistaken for termites. Leave it up to the professionals. 

A bee or wasp infestation can be very scary. No one wants to be in danger of being stung in their own home, especially if your family or visitors are allergic. 

Stinging insects such as wasps, bumble bees, yellow jackets, and hornets are the most common stinging bugs. Although some will not initiate violence, species like hornets and wasps are known to have a temper. These species fall under a class of insects called Hymenoptera. Insects classified this way have venom in their sting, which could potentially lead to death if left untreated. Some can even sting multiple times. 

You can identify a yellowjacket by their thin black and yellow stripes. They will usually nest inside wood that is close to the ground, or just in the ground itself. This makes it easy to disturb the nest by accident, which will cause trouble. Sometimes they will build nests in the walls of homes, and these infestations can spiral out of control very quickly. Their nests resemble paper mâché. If you spot a nest around your home, call a professional immediately. 

Wasps, on the other hand, look like yellow jackets in size but have brown or red bodies with yellow markings instead. Their nests will appear similar but usually hand down from leaves or large piles of wood.

The professionals at Colwell Termite & Pest Control have dealt with every kind of bee and wasp. Do not wait, call today.

Beetles account for around 25% of all life forms on earth. They are the largest category of insects in the world, with over 5 million different species. 

You can easily identify a beetle by their hard shell, which covers and protects their wings. The wings are only exposed when they are in flight. Their bodies are made up of a head, thorax, and abdomen. 

Beetles are usually attracted to wood and will usually remain unseen while they are eating through it. Some beetles who are notorious for eating through wood are powder post beetles, old house borer beetles, bark beetles, citrus long-horned beetles, and Asian beetles. Citrus long-horned beetles have no known enemies and can cause a lot of damage.

Powder post beetles are born out of wood, as they lay eggs there. If you have spotted beetles eating your wood, they are most likely the babies eating their way out of their nests. 

 Have you spotted any holes in the wood floors or walls of your home, or even in your furniture? That could mean there is a beetle infestation nearby. 

Some beetles are also attracted to plants and can eat through your entire garden, ruining your crops. The Colorado potato beetle, boll weevil, rose chafer, and western corn rootworm are some of the most common beetles that will feast on plants. 

On the other hand, some beetles can be good to have around, like the ladybug, as they repel other bugs. Therefore having a professional assess the infestation is the smartest move.

A centipede or millipede infestation can seem harmless, but their bites are more painful than you think. Centipede bites are poisonous. The poison is like that of a bee sting; it can affect some people more than others. They can grow to be six inches long but are usually shorter. 

Millipedes do not have poisonous bites, but they do emit a fluid in self-defense. They can squirt this fluid far, and you will notice that it has an odor. If the fluid contacts your skin, you should clean it immediately. 

Millipedes usually eat plants, especially dying plant matter. Check your house plants and gardens, especially around the roots.

Centipedes and millipedes can be hard to tell apart. Millipedes have two sets of legs for every segment of their body, and their legs appear to move like a wave when they walk. Millipedes’ legs are shorter, and because of that they usually move slower than centipedes. Some centipedes can even live up to six years.

Some centipedes and millipedes are beneficial to have around because they control the population of other bugs.

House centipedes can live inside your home for a while. They do not need the same moisture other varieties need, and you will notice that they move pretty fast. You will see them more in the spring and fall.

There are over 4,000 kinds of cockroaches, but only around 30 of them tend to live with humans. In America, there are only around 4 varieties found inside homes. 

American, German, Asian, and Oriental cockroaches are the most common. They vary in size from 1/2" to 2". 

The German cockroach is the most common in the United States. The female will leave for around 200 days. She will produce four to six egg cases in her lifetime, and each egg case is protecting thirty to fifty eggs. Obviously, an infestation of this kind will spread rapidly.

It is common knowledge that cockroaches are hard to kill. They multiply and adapt very quickly. They are also hard to find because they mostly come out at night. They can live up to a month with no food, and can survive off book bindings, soap, shoe linings, dead insects, and furniture flue. 

Cockroaches can make your space appear uncleanly and gross out your guests, not to mention cause health problems. Cockroaches have been known to cause asthma in children. 

There are never just one or two cockroaches. With every few cockroaches you see, there are hundreds more in hiding. If you see them in your home or business, call a professional immediately.

Mosquitoes are scary both alone and in larger numbers. The diseases they carry can be deadly; mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths than any other insect. A single bite can carry diseases such as malaria, encephalitis, and dengue fever. 

Only female mosquitoes will drink blook, as she needs it to help her lay her eggs. Once she lays her eggs, she will seek out more blood so she can lay more. She will do this repeatedly until she dies, usually within two weeks.

Insecticide is usually very effective in clearing out the area. Have a professional come treat your property the moment you notice an increase in mosquitoes.

There are both food eating and fabric eating moths. Their diet is limited compared to other insects, so they are fairly easy to find and eradicate. Fabric eating moths will be found in your closet, and food eating moths will be found in your pantry and cabinets. 

Food eating moths will feast on pet food, grains, cereal, bird seed, and other similar foods. Anything stored in air-tight containers will attract moths as well. Moths will lay their eggs near these foods so the larvae can feast on them. The larvae will be hard to see, as they will appear to be the same beige color as the food, they are in. 

The North American high-flyer is the most destructive food moth, and their larvae are usually referred to as "waxworms", flour moths, or pantry moths. They can lay up to 300 eggs at once. An adult North American high-flyer will grow to be about a half an inch long.

Fabric moths, such as the webbing moth and the case making moth are only about one fourth of an inch long. They are rarely ever seen. 

If you see any small holes in fabric, or find some moths in your pantry, call immediately. Dealing with unfamiliar chemicals can be unsafe if you do not have the knowledge. 

Rodents are commensal, meaning 'to share one’s table'. They like to be close to humans, as this means food is near. Any animal whose incisor teeth keep growing is considered a rodent.

Rats and other rodents are smart, and usually know to avoid traps. They can cause a lot of damage by chewing through wire and wood. 

Getting rid of a rodent nest and infestation requires a lot of caution, as they carry a lot of bacteria, fleas, and disease. They can carry up to thirty-five diseases that humans can catch. 

Have the professionals deal with the infestation for you to ensure it is permanently fixed.

Spiders can be good to have around because they control the population of other bugs. Having a lot of spiders in your home can scare some of your guests, and some of them could even have poisonous bites. It is wise to have a professional come and assess the infestation immediately just in case. 

Black widows and brown recluses cause a few human deaths in America each year. Anyone who gets bit by these spiders should seek medical help immediately. 

A black widow is black with a red hourglass underneath the abdomen. The female is larger than the, on average, half an inch long male. They usually remain outdoors.

The brown recluse has a darker brown hourglass on its back. They usually stay out of sight, but love to be indoors. They will stay in a dark spot in your home, and bite if you get too close.

Other common spiders, such as the grass spider, wolf spider, and hobo spider have painful bites but without the same strong venom.

Subterranean termites are very common and are found in every state except Alaska. They usually access the home through wood that is touching soil. Therefore, it is advised to store any firewood far away from the home. A professional inspection is needed to assess how severe the infestation is.

Swarming termites are often mistaken for flying ants. The swarming takes place in certain seasons and marks the beginning of the termite reproductive cycle. It is also the time when they are most visible to humans. 

Ants are more cinched in the middle of the body, quite like wasps. Termites are more round in that area. Another key difference is that termite wings are always much longer than their bodies, and they also have straight antennae.

If you see wings lying on the ground, or holes that have been dug in any wood furniture, walls, or floors you should call an expert immediately. Regular inspections are recommended. 

Ticks are around all year but are more noticeable in the summertime. Pets can bring ticks in from outside and they can breed in your home. 

Female ticks need a blood meal before they lay their eggs. She can lay up to ten thousand eggs at once. A young tick will have six legs, and an adult will have eight. 

Ticks can carry very dangerous diseases, such as Lyme Disease, Tick Paralysis and Meningoencephalitis. Even though ticks prefer one type of host, they will feed on any blood. Deer ticks and bird ticks will not only just feast on the animal from which they get their name, for instance.

After a few days of feeding, the tick will drop off the host and lay eggs in tiny crevices around your home. These eggs could hatch months after you think the infestation is gone.

You may think you have gotten rid of the infestation by yourself, but it takes a professional to properly diagnose how severe the issue is. To ensure everything is property treated, contact a professional immediately.