Insects of any kind are never fun to deal with, and they can put the safety of your home — and your family — at risk. But how can you know what kind of pests you’re facing? You need to know what to look for, and where you might find it. There are thousands of pest species in the United States, many of which have similar characteristics, which is why it’s so important to be able to identify all house bugs and pests.
Learn how to identify and control infestations of these five common pests that are present in the Kansas City area.
1. Common Ants
How to Identify
These little black invaders are easily identifiable by their distinct body shape and antennae, though there are many different species of ants that will vary in size and color. They’re most often found scavenging your kitchen for food scraps to bring back to their nest. While you may catch an occasional lone ant, you’ll typically find them in a group . . . and if you see one, you can bet there are more on the way.
Are They Dangerous?
For the most part, ants are relatively harmless and more an inconvenience than a dangerous issue. But they’re still not the kind of visitor you want in your home! When it comes to household pests, common ants are the easiest to resolve on your own before the infestation has gone too far.
How to Deal with Them
Once you’ve determined the invaders are common black ants and not a more dangerous species, try to eliminate the cause. Ants can be drawn to food scraps or dirty dishes, for example. If the problem persists, contact Advantage for pest control assistance.
2. Carpenter Ants
How to Identify
Among the more unique species of ants, carpenter ants prefer to burrow their tunnels and nests in wood rather than dirt, which means you’re more likely to find them on the exterior walls of your house than in your kitchen. They’re one of the largest species of ants, with many of the larger ones also having wings.
Are They Dangerous?
While not venomous, carpenter ants do bite and can cause an allergic reaction. Medical attention is rarely required, but you should still properly clean any bites, especially if they break the skin.
How to Deal with Them
We do not recommend trying to deal with carpenter ants yourself. These pests are often hidden away within the walls of your home, so it’s difficult to tell whether or not your DIY solutions have solved the problem. You may think you’ve exterminated them, but they may continue to damage the wood within your home. If you find carpenter ants in your home, contact Advantage right away!
3. Bed Bugs
How to Identify
Bed bugs are nasty little parasites who love humans. Because of their extremely small size, bed bugs are nearly undetectable by the naked eye and may hide in and around items for extended periods of time before creeping out during the night to feast.
You’ll know you have bed bugs by small blood stains or dark, rusty spots of bed bug excrement on your furniture, sheets, or walls, not to mention the bites and irritation on your skin!
Are They Dangerous?
Although irritating, bed bugs don’t typically carry any harmful diseases. Their bites can lead to allergic reactions or even infection, though, so be careful to avoid scratching at marks and let them heal on their own.
How to Deal with Them
Unfortunately, once you see the signs of bed bugs in your home, you already likely have a full-scale infestation that is extremely difficult to get rid of on your own. Contact Advantage right away for professional bed bug removal!
4. Termites
How to Identify
One of the most common species of this wood-eating insect is the Eastern subterranean termite, who is unfortunately native to Kansas and Missouri. One of the first indicators of termites in or near your home is debris piles underneath windows and doors. Termite colonies are made up of workers, soldiers, and reproductives, and the reproductives shed their wings once they have found a spot to set up shop. You also may notice piles of feces and wood shavings around your home, or warping of your home’s structure in the event of a serious, long-term infestation.
Are They Dangerous?
Termites are harmless to humans, but not to your home! Allowing termites to tunnel through the frame of your home can significantly compromise its structural integrity. If you think you have a termite infestation, don’t wait to exterminate!
How to Deal with Them
Termites are another type of pest that are just too difficult to exterminate through do-it-yourself solutions. Advantage uses the latest developments in the field of termite control to destroy the queen and her colony without the need for any structural drilling or disruptions to your home’s foundation or landscaping. Contact us to learn about this Sentricon System and eradicate your termite problem immediately!
5. Brown Recluse Spider
How to Identify
We’d be remiss in listing pests in Kansas City if we didn’t address the most concerning spider you may encounter. Brown recluse spiders are loners who tend to hide in dark places like under sinks or in closets. These creepy crawlies are around one inch in size (including the legs) and have a solid-colored abdomen of cream or dark brown, plus a dark violin shape on their head and thorax. They only have six eyes, unlike the eight common to most species of spider (but be careful — you shouldn’t get close enough to check!).
Are They Dangerous?
Brown recluse spiders often rank just below the black widow in terms of danger from their poisonous bite. They’re especially dangerous to children and older adults, who may not be able to clear the poison from their system without intervention and may require extensive treatment for tissue damage.
That said, 90% of all brown recluse bites heal on their own and don’t require any treatment at all, and there have been no proven deaths in the United States.
How to Deal with Them
Despite the lack of deaths or serious injuries, it’s best not to try and squish a brown recluse and risk them attacking. It’s always safest to let the professionals handle it!
Contact Advantage for any of your pest control needs!
