Learn about some of the pests we help you get rid of.
American Cockroach- The adult American cockroach range from 1 3/8" 2 1/8" long, their bodies are oval in shape and reddish brown with their head being pale brown to yellowish in color.
The American cockroach is not only a nuisance but has been known to be a disease carrier. Our service will control most infestations of American cockroaches on the exterior and interior as well. In addition, the Avid Pest technician can advise on things that may be contributors to the problem.
The American cockroach is not only a nuisance but has been known to be a disease carrier. Our service will control most infestations of American cockroaches on the exterior and interior as well. In addition, the Avid Pest technician can advise on things that may be contributors to the problem.
Scorpions- Scorpions are nocturnal, and don’t come out until it’s about 60 degrees. There are two types of scorpions, the desert hairy scorpions aren’t very venomous and stings can be painful and show signs of localized effects like bee stings. They are light tannish yellowish color. Bark scorpions on the other hand are poisonous. If you encounter scorpions give us a call!
Black Widow Spider- The adult female is about 1/2" including an almost spherical abdomen with overall length including legs of about 1 1/2"-1 3/8". Females are black in color with identifiable marking of a red hourglass. They are the most venomous spiders in North America Black Widow's can be found in irregular webs and hang upside down or in sheltered places, under stones, firewood piles, under decking, hollow tree stumps, barns, sheds, meter boxes, bricks, barrels and woodpiles. They are know for having strong "sticky" webs. If you encounter black widows avoid them and contact us, we can help!
Mice- The adult mouse is about 2 1/2" 3 3/4" (head and body) and a tail length of 2 3/4" long. Mice are found where food and shelter is plentiful and prefer nesting sites that are dark and in secluded places with an abundance of nesting materials. Mice may access through openings greater than 1/4, allowing mice many points of entry. The Avid technician will determine the best means of control for each customer.
Tarantula-tarantulas have a big, hairy appearance, this spider also has two large, conspicuous fangs for injecting venom into prey. The venom not only helps immobilize prey, but it liquefies & digests the soft insides of the beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, cicadas, caterpillars, millipedes, spiders in the tarantula's diet. Since it can't eat solids, it's diet basically consists of "bug soup." Many people think that tarantulas are quick to bite people, and bites are very dangerous. Neither assumption is correct. Since a tarantula has a rather gentle disposition, it rarely uses its fangs for anything except catching and mashing up prey. A tarantula may inflict a painful bite on a human if sufficiently provoked, but the bite hurts less than a bee sting and poses no serious hazard unless the bite becomes infected or the victim has a severe allergic reaction. If you find one and need it removed call us!
Wasps- In the spring they select a nesting site and begin to build a nest. Nests are built from wood fiber collected from posts and occasionally from live plant stems, causing some plant damage. Nests are oriented downward and are suspended by a single filament. Nests commonly occur around the home underneath eaves, in or on structures and plants; wasps attack when the nest is disturbed and each can sting repeatedly; stings typically cause localized pain and swelling, but in sensitive individuals or when many stings occur whole body effects can occur including allergic reactions that may result in death.
Silverfish- are shiny, silver or pearl gray. Adults of both are slender 1/3" to 1/2 inch long. They have scaly bodies that taper gradually to the rear with two slender antennae in front and three long, thin appendages in back. If the object they are hiding under is moved, they dart toward another hiding place. They come out at night to seek food. They can live for several months without food. They hide in baseboards and around window and door frames from which they seek out food sources. To keep silverfish away, keep basements, laundry rooms, and bathrooms clean and dry. Keep foods in containers with tight lids.
Red Fire Ants-These ants will build large mound nests, and will sting humans who come across a nest. Red imported fire ants will build their nest mounds outdoors in landscape areas or near a structural foundation. The ant will gain entry to a building through holes or cracks. The sting of a red imported fire ant is painful and often results in a raised welt. Often, a person stung by a red imported fire ant receives multiple painful stings from more than one of the ants. Persons allergic to insect stings will react more severely. Fire ants and their telltale mound nests should be actively avoided.
Wolf Spider-Wolf spiders are hairy arachnids that can grow up to 35 mm in body length. Quick moving and relatively large in size, wolf spiders often inspire fear when they are found within human dwellings. Most species are burrowers that live underground, although some specimens can be seen traveling above ground in leaf litter, on lawns and in gardens. Most wolf spiders are also nocturnal, although some do hunt in the morning. A wolf spider’s diet typically consists of insects and other small spiders. Although their reputation would lead one to believe otherwise, the bite of the wolf spider is not a significant medical threat to the average adult. Wolf spiders typically do not bite unless threatened or provoked. In most cases the wolf spider will first retreat or rear up on its legs, exposing its large fangs.
Earwigs- The adult Earwig is about 1/4" - 1" long and has an elongated body. In color, the Earwig is pale brown with dark markings to reddish brown to black with forcep-like pincer. The Earwig gets its name from an old European superstition that the insect would enter the ear and bore its way into the brain. Earwigs are nocturnal, during the day they hide in moist, shady places such as; under stones, logs, or even mulch. Earwigs feed on living or dead plants and or insects and will occasionally damage vegetables, flowers, fruit, shrubs and trees.
German Cockroach- The adult German cockroach range from 1/2" 5/8" long, their bodies are oval in shape and light brown to tan in color. The German roach prefers warm and humid places such as kitchens and bathrooms. Infestations occur in areas where we eat, drink, watch TV and even sleep, making any food and or water source a prime harborage area. The German cockroach is not only a nuisance but has been known to be a disease carrier. Sanitation is the cornerstone to effective long lasting control of German cockroaches. This requires cooperation of the people living in the home as well as a complete interior treatment.
Sun Spider- also called sun scorpion, wind scorpion, or may be referred to as a camel spider. Body length is 0.4 to 2 inches. The chelicerae (first pair of appendages) are large, toothed, jaw-like pincers, and the leg-like pedipalps (second pair of appendages) have suctorial tips for seizing prey. They feed on insects, scorpions, or lizards and it's important to point out that they rarely hunt for prey, which is bigger than they are. They are usually beige to brown in color. Males are usually smaller than females, with longer legs. They are nocturnal creatures, so they hunt at night and look for the shade during the day. Sun spiders are not dangerous for people. Rather often people mistaken, when they start thinking that spiders are hunting for them and even trying to kill them. Spiders will approach any shade if they have such an opportunity, including human shadows, and this gives the impression that they are following and even attacking humans, which obviously isn't true. Camel spiders just trying to hide from the sun. They can bite in case of self-defense, when they were disturbed and it's rather painful. They are not venomous, although there's a risk of infection.
Carpenter Bees- Carpenter bees resemble bumblebees in both size and appearance, but are not social insects. They construct their nests in trees or in frame buildings. Most of the top of the abdomen of carpenter bees is without hairs and is shiny black in color. If you see a number of large bees hovering near the eaves of the house or drilling in wood, you have carpenter bees. The male bee is unable to sting. It is the male carpenter bee, which is most often noticed. They hover in the vicinity of the nest and will dart after any other flying insect that ventures into their territory. A common behavior of the males is to approach people if they move quickly or wave a hand in the air. The males may even hover a short distance from people causing unnecessary panic. The female however, is capable of stinging but seldom does. She must be extremely provoked before she will sting. Call Avid Pest for help removing carpenter bees.
Hobo Spider- Hobo spiders typically produce funnel-shaped webs along areas such as stacks of bricks or landscaping timbers. Hobo spiders are also known as aggressive house spiders. Contrary, the hobo spider is not overly aggressive. Rather, these arachnids usually defend themselves only when provoked or threatened. Hobo spiders are extremely protective of their egg sacs and will bite if they perceive a threat to their young. Oftentimes, humans do not realize that they are encroaching upon a hobo spider. This often occurs when a spider is residing in dark areas.
House Cricket- The adult House cricket is 3/4" 7/8" long. They are typically light yellowish brown with 3 dark cross-bands on the head. The House crickets name comes from the fact that this cricket often enters homes where they can survive indefinitely, hence the House cricket. The house cricket feeds on wool, cotton and synthetics, resulting in large areas of fabric being eaten. The House cricket typically lives outdoors during warm weather, when cold weather is approaching they seek refuge inside homes and sheds. Their presence is often indicated by the males chirping sound which occurs either day or night and is known as a calling song used to attract females.
Bed Bugs- The adults are very flat, oblong shape and brown in color. At their largest, the adults are about 1/5” long. The younger individuals look very similar to the adults, but just smaller and a shade lighter. They live in all of the places that humans live and reside. Bed bugs can be found in hotels, homes & apartments. They hitch a ride on luggage (or anything else for that matter) and make their home in any place where that luggage rests. Bed bugs are most active at night. This allows them to feed while their hosts sleep. During the feeding process, the insect injects its long mouth parts into their host. An anesthetic is injected to prevent the host from feeling the bite. A bug needs a blood meal in order to move on at each stage of develop after emerging from the egg.
Flour Beetle- The flour beetles are small beetles, adults are about 3 to 4 mm long. They are reddish brown in color. Flour beetles are pests of flour and cereal products. They are common in homes and grocery stores. They also infest mills and food processing facilities. Flour beetles do not attack whole grains. The female beetle deposits eggs directly on flour, cereal, dry pet food or other similar products. The females deposit a few eggs each day in the food that she is eating. The egg laying can last several months. The eggs are hard to see in flour or meal. The larvae hatch and begin to eat the material where they hatched. The larvae are 4 to 5 mm long. Flour beetles can develop from egg to adult in as little as seven weeks. Adult flour beetles can crawl into packages that appear to be sealed. Infestations can easily spread from one product on a shelf to several different products. Controlling flour beetles starts with a thorough inspection. Every infested package should be thrown away. Due to the difficult nature of these pests, it is advisable to call Avid Pest for help.
Ticks- Un-engorged adult female tick is 3/16" long, the male being slightly smaller (about 1/8"). Body is oval in shape and color is brown with whitish to gray markings. Ticks are eight legged. The tick will not survive indoors, ticks found indoors have been brought in by its host, probably a dog. Adult ticks will crawl up grass or low vegetation and grasp on to any passing host and prefer larger mammals such as; dogs, man, cattle, coyotes, hogs, horses, squirrels and etc.
Some of the diseases vectored by ticks include Colorado Tick Fever, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme disease, Powassan encephalitis, Relapsing Fever, Endemic Typhus and many others.
Some of the diseases vectored by ticks include Colorado Tick Fever, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme disease, Powassan encephalitis, Relapsing Fever, Endemic Typhus and many others.
Termites- The Subterranean termite is about 3/8" long including wings. The body is dark brown to black in color. The Subterranean termite soldier is about 3/8" long with mandibles. The Subterranean termite swarms during daylight and occurs during springtime. Colonies are located underground. The Subterranean termite builds mud tubes to travel through areas of adverse conditions and will run from the colony and the food source. Soil treatment with long residual insecticides to provide a chemical barrier is the most commonly used control or prevention method for subterranean termites. The Drywood termite swarmer is up to 7/16" 1/2" long including wings. The head and pronotum orange brown, abdomen dark brown and wings have a smokey tinge. The Drywood termite soldier is up to 5/16" or 5/8"-1/2" reddish brown in color with mandibles. They do not need contact with soil moisture nor any other water source. As their name suggests, drywood termites occur in dry wood that may be above ground level. Drywood termites build colonies in structural wood, fence and utility posts, furniture, moldings, door and window frames etc.
Fleas- The adult Flea is about 1/8", body is flattened (side to side), wingless and brownish black to black in color and will be reddish black when full of blood. Fleas are typically found where animals sleep and frequent, including their avenue of travel. Dog Fleas are known to be vectors of the disease organisms causing both plague and murine typhus, and can serve as an immediate host for the dog tapeworm. It is not necessary to have pets in your home in order to have fleas since fleas can jump about 6 - 13 inches vertically and can hitch a ride in/on your pants, socks and even shoe. Dog and cats can get tapeworms from the flea.
Ants- Most ants vary in color with red and black being the most seen variety. The staple diet of ants includes seeds, fungus, nectar and insects. But there are species that have abnormal diets. Though ants build complicated nests mostly they are nomads. They may build subterranean nest or build nest on trees. Nests can be seen in the ground, under logs or stones, inside logs, acorns and in hollow stems. Some ants avoid nest sites that have dead ants, as this indicates pest presence or the presence of disease. Ants rapidly vacate a nest, if they sense danger. Ants also build nests in buildings, walls, electric appliances and windows.
Indianmeal Moth- Indianmeal moth is a small moth, about 3/8 inches long. The wing color is generally gray but the rear half of the wing is rusty brown or nearly bronze. The Indianmeal moth larvae can infest a wide range of dry foods such as dry pet food, birdseed, cereal, dried soup mixes, bread, pasta, rice, flour, spices, dried fruits and nuts. This wide range of suitable foods explains why this pest is considered by most experts to be the most common stored-food pest in homes and grocery stores. Adults and larvae are common signs of an infestation. Controlling Indianmeal moths starts with a careful inspection to identify all the infestation’s food sources. Pay particular attention to items that have remained in the cupboard for long periods or foods that are loosely sealed or are in thin wrapping. Get rid of any food that is infested. Store food products in sealed glass or plastic containers to prevent a re-infestation. Contact Avid Pest for assistance to control Indianmeal moths.
House Centipedes- develop by gradual metamorphosis, so immature have a similar appearance to adults but are smaller. All life stages can be observed running rapidly across floors or accidentally trapped in bathtubs, sinks, and lavatories. The house centipede forages at night for small insects and their larvae, and for spiders. The house centipede prefers to live in damp areas, such as cellars, closets, bathrooms, attics (during warmer months), and un-excavated areas under the house. Although this centipede can bite, its jaws are quite weak. There usually is not more than a slight swelling if a bite occurs.
Rats- Rats are instinctively wary of things new to their environment, including rat control measures such as traps and bait, and colonize in attics, burrows, under concrete and porches, in wall voids and other hard-to-reach places. Rats can harbor and transmit a number of serious diseases. They can also introduce disease-carrying parasites such as fleas and ticks into your home. They have over sized front teeth for gnawing and check teeth, which are adapted for chewing. Rats chew on a variety of items available to them and cause great damage in and around homes. Rats tend to be rapid breeders. Because of the rodents’ body plan, they are capable of squeezing through spaces that appear to be much too small for them.
Jerusalem Cricket- Many people are startled when they see a Jerusalem cricket, it is a large insect. It is common for a Jerusalem cricket to be up to 50 mm long. It has a large head and beady black eyes. From the front it appears to have a tiny face. It is yellow to brown in color. The adult does not have wings, so it moves around by hopping. The sound that it makes has been compared to a scratching or hissing sound. Jerusalem crickets are active at night. The primary foods are roots, tubers and insects. The ideal environment for these insects would be a garden or flowerbed. In extremely hot, dry seasons, these insects may move into homes. Inside, they seek out dark places to spend the day.
Honey Bees- The European honey bee, also known as the common or western honey bee is so named because it produces honey. Wild European honey bee nests are found in hollow trees or man-made structures. Managed colonies are often kept in wooden hives. Africanized honeybees sometimes called “killer bees” – became established in Texas in 1990 and are spreading to other states including Utah. The Africanized honeybee is related to our state’s familiar honeybee. Each bee can sting only once, and there is no difference between Africanized honeybee venom and that of a European honeybee. However, Africanized honeybees are less predictable and more defensive than European honeybees. They are more likely to defend a greater area around their nest and respond faster and in greater numbers than European honeybees.
Carpenter Ants- Carpenter ants reside both outdoors and indoors in moist, decaying or hollow wood. They cut galleries into the wood grain to form their nests and provide passageways for movement from section to section of the nest. This activity produces wood shavings mixed with parts of dead ants which provides clues to nesting locations. Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but they will feed on a variety of food people eat—particularly sweets and meats. They will also feed on other insects. In natural environments, carpenter ants dwell in both dead and living trees, stumps and rotting logs. However, they may also establish their nests inside of homes and buildings where wood is found. Carpenter ants prefer to establish nests in areas where wood has been exposed to severe moisture.
Flies- The most common fly is the house fly. It is black and about 1/4" inch long. The sex of a house fly can be determined by the distance between their eyes (females are wider). Also, the female is usually larger than the male. Flies have been known to migrate up to 20 miles, although, typically they will stay within 1-2 miles from their release point or larval habitat. Flies are attracted to building or dwellings via air currents and odors. During the day, flies will fly or rest less than 5 feet above ground, where at night tend to fly and rest above 5 feet. Flies have been known to harbor over 100 different diseases ranging from typhoid fever to salmonella poisoning.
Garter Snakes- Garter snakes, sometimes called garden snakes, are small nonpoisonous snakes that live in your yard. There are different varieties, but the most common have subtle colors. Usually they have dark but soft hues of black or green, with a yellow or red set of stripes running the length of their backs. They are skinny and can grow up to three feet long. Garter snakes eat small rodents, earthworms and insects. Because they are not poisonous, you can leave them alone, or you can follow a few steps to eradicate them from your yard.
Weeds- Weeds compete with your ornamental and food plants for sunlight, soil nutrients, and water, and can also provide shelter for diseases, insects, and animals that damage garden plants. Thistle, a prickly perennial weed, can regrow from a tiny root fragment. Mallow, which looks like a wild geranium, grows both as an annual and biennial and has a long, tough tap root that will regrow unless you are diligent about digging the entire root out. Dandelion is probably the best known and least problematic of these weeds. Characterized by the familiar yellow flowers and a deep tap root, this perennial weed can be controlled fairly easily. Bindweed, a perennial vine that has small morning glory-like flowers.
Find yourself facing any of these annoying pests? We can help!
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