Household Pests

Whether we like it or not our homes represent a source of food, water, and shelter for a host of common household pests.  Our goal is to make your home as inhospitable to these pests as possible.

Roach Control

Large Roaches – The two main large roaches we encounter in our area are called the American and Smokey brown cockroach.  No matter what you call them they are downright scary.  There’s something about them that just makes our skin crawl.  As scary as they are they are not the hardest roaches to control.  To effectively treat these pests we focus on locating and sealing off their entry points as well as applying residual insecticides and or baits to reduce their numbers inside and out.

German Roaches – While not nearly as intimidating as their larger relatives a German Roach infestation is a serious problem.  These roaches generally infest in large numbers due to their rapid reproductive capabilities.  For every one you see there could be dozens hiding in the unseen areas of your home.  The best treatment method is aggressive baiting in the harborage areas as well as keeping the infested areas as clean as possible to reduce the availability of food and water.

Ant Control

Ants are one of the most difficult pests to control.  Due to their social colonies they are quite adept at overcoming adversity be it changes in their environment or a pest control treatment.  The best bet for treatment is using their numbers and social behavior against them.  Depending on the type of ant we will either bait their foraging areas or apply liquid insecticides to active areas.  These treatments are transferred amongst the individual ants through normal interactions and will work there way around the colony almost like a cold moves from person to person.  The end result is either the collapse of the colony or a shift in territory away from the treated zone.  Either way the problem is solved.

Flea Control – Tick Control

Fleas and ticks have to be one of the worst pest problems you will ever encounter in or around your home. Not only do their bites leave long lasting itchy reactions but they can carry and transmit deadly diseases to humans and animals alike.  Due to our warm moist climate fleas thrive in Houston and its surrounding areas.  People with pets are more vulnerable to flea and tick infestation but it isn’t necessarily a prerequisite.  Due to recent resistance to traditional pesticides in the flea and tick populations if you find yourself with even a minor flea problem you’re going to need professional help.  However we can’t do it alone.  We’ll need your help as well to effectively control them.

Pest Control Treatment Plan:

1. Find the source – Fleas prefer to feed on fur bearing animals.  Therefore it’s best to determine what animal or animals are the source.  This can be as simple as your family pet or as complicated as a family of possums living under your house.
2. Treat domestic animals – Even though they may not be the initial source it’s important to keep your dogs and or cats on flea prevention medication obtained from your vet.  It’s always a good idea to consult with your vet when tackling a flea problem.
3. Vacuum – Vacuuming floors, rugs, upholstered furniture, pet bedding, and any other area fleas and ticks may harbor is essential to treatment success.  Vacuuming removes all stages of the life cycle and accelerates control of the infestation.  You can’t vacuum too much!  However after vacuuming it’s important to remove the vacuum bag and dispose of it outside the house as fleas can hatch from inside the vacuum bag.
4. Pesticide Treatment – Have Hunter Pest Control come out and treat the house inside and out.  We use the latest chemicals formulated to both kill adult fleas and stop the development of juvenile fleas.  Due to the life cycle of the flea it’s sometimes necessary to have 2 treatments several weeks apart for maximum effectiveness.

Spider Control

Spider control like most pest control is multifaceted.  There is no one silver bullet for spiders.  Due to their specific habits they don’t come into contact with our residual treatments as often as some other pest like roaches.  Therefore we have to take additional steps to make our homes less attractive to them.

1. Pest Control: Having pest control in your home is the first step.  This will eliminate some of the spiders but it more importantly eliminates many of the other small insects that spiders feed on.  If there is no food source the spiders have much less reason to be there.
2. Moisture Control: Eliminating leaky faucets or hoses and making sure water doesn’t stand around your home are key to reducing spiders and the insects that they feed on. 
3. Light Control: All sorts of flying insects and bugs are attracted to traditional outdoor lighting which in turn attracts spiders.  Changing to a different bulb color can reduce this attractive force which eliminates these insects and the spiders that prey on them.
4. Reduce Debris:  a debris pile around your house is like a high rise apartment complex for vermin.  Wood piles, rock piles, brick or stone that has been stacked up, and trash piles are all perfect habitat for most pests including rodents.  You should eliminate these areas on your property and never stack things against the side of your house.  Doing so will help with all pests including spiders.

Silverfish Control

Silverfish are one of the most primitive insects we encounter in our homes.  Their simple nature along with their extremely wide range of food sources make them a formidable pest.  Like most insects moisture and humidity help this insect thrive.  To help control silverfish steps should be taken to eliminate moisture sources as well as food sources.  Sealing cracks and crevices and maintaining a clean home will help as well.

To treat silverfish we employ a variety of tactics including bait applications, residual insecticides, dust treatments, and sticky traps.

Paper Wasp Control

Wasps pose a distinct threat to your family and pets.  They have the potential to inflict painful stings when defending their nest.  Many people are also allergic to wasp stings.  Due to their random nature they are difficult to prevent.  This is why it’s good to have a pest management professional inspect your home regularly in order to find and eliminate new nests that may have popped up.  With a little precaution and planning most wasp nests can be easily dispatched.  However it’s best to leave it to the professionals at Hunter Pest Control.

Rat Control – Mouse Control 

What Mice and Rats Have In Common

• Mice and rats reproduce rapidly with major activity at night.
• Rats and mice have poor eye site. When placing our rodent bait, place the bait where they travel and live. Do not randomly make rodent or trap placements. The rat’s territory is larger than the mouse’s territory. Generally speaking, place rat baits out every 25 feet and mice bait out every 10 feet. Rodents have a strong sense of touch from their wiskers. They explore with these wiskers. They prefer a stationary object on one side of them as they travel, so they commonly travel along walls. Place rat traps spaced 15-20 feet apart. Place mice traps every 3-5 feet.
• Both rats and mice can squeeze through tiny openings; 1/4 inch for mice and 1/2 inch for rats. If they can not get around an object, they may chew through it. They can gnaw through cinder block, lead sheathing, aluminum siding, and glass.

Get Rid Of Mice And Rats

Bees

Like wasps Honey Bee’s are capable of inflicting a nasty sting.  However bees also play a vital role in our ecosystem and crop production.  Honey bees have been in decline in recent years and for this reason a Honey Bee infestation should be handled in most cases by a bee keeper or a bee removal expert.  Pesticide should be a last resort when attempting to control bees.

Hunter Pest Control recommends several bee keepers and bee removal companies.  Please call for a referral.

Stored Product Pests

Even though most people encounter stored product pests quite frequently there is much confusion about their real story.  Many people find a bug in their house and naturally assume it came from the outside of the home.  In most cases this is true however with stored product pests like the flour beetle, rice weevils, and Indian meal moth the story is a bit different.  The eggs and larval stages of these pests are actually inside the packaging of various food products we buy at the grocery store(rice, flour, cereal, pet food to name a few).  So instead of sneaking their way in through some small crack or crevice in our walls they have actually been voluntarily carried in by the homeowner and unwittingly placed in the pantry.  If the product sits long enough the younger stages hatch into full grown insects and voila! you have a stored product pest infestation.  For this reason the best way to eliminate the problem is to find the infested product and simply throw it away.  This is many times easier said than done due to the fact that most people have dozens of potential sources in their pantries.  Some of these pests can even infest things like chocolate, potpourri, and tobacco which can complicate thing even more.

To make a long story short pesticide treatments aren’t generally needed or warranted with these insects but we’ll be happy to help you look for them.