Bats

Bats can be a real threat to your health and home.

The fear of bats has been perpetuated for centuries. Although a superstitious fear of bats may be unfounded, there is ample scientific evidence to warrant your desire to bat-proof your home.

Signs of Bats
The bat is a nocturnal, flying animal that prefers dark, hidden areas. They are usually found in the attic, but they can also be found inside the walls of your home. They are rarely seen, but they may be recognized by the sounds that they make in the walls or attic. Bats may also be recognized by the droppings that they leave behind.

Health risks associated with Bats in San Antonio
Not only are bats annoying to have in the home, but they can also cause serious health problems. Their droppings contain a fungus that is harmful to human lungs. In fact, bat droppings can cause a condition known as histoplasmosis, and this condition can be fatal if it spreads to the rest of the body. In addition, bats can be carriers of the rabies virus. Of course, rabies is a very dangerous and potentially fatal disease. Although most bats are not rabid, you never want to take that chance.

Leave it to the professionals at WorldWide
Considering the serious health risks and the difficulty of locating bats, people should not try to handle a bat infestation on their own. It can also be very difficult to find the place where bats are entering your home. The best way to approach a bat infestation is to call a professional exterminator to bat-proof your home. If you are having trouble with bats in the San Antonio area, contact Worldwide Pest Control immediately.

Fleas

Fleas have the potential to transmit bacterial infections, disease, and internal parasites. The itching caused by their bites often results in secondary infections and skin damage caused by scratching.

Fleas are small, wingless, hard-bodied insects that move quickly and are highly prolific. They bite wild animals, domestic pets, and humans. Their bites often cause severe itching, particularly when multiple bites are part of the picture. Fleas have the potential to transmit bacterial infections, disease, and internal parasites. The itching caused by their bites often results in secondary infections and skin damage caused by scratching. Flea infestations that are left untreated quickly spiral out of control, and pet owners should be aware that the visual presence of even one lone flea usually means that there are hundreds, or perhaps even thousands, that you don’t see.

Fleas Like It Hot

Fleas can be especially difficult to get rid of during the hottest part of summer because they thrive in high temperatures. Furthermore, they reproduce so quickly during the height of summer that successfully getting their population in check can feel nearly impossible. Although many consumers turn to home remedies and over-the-counter pest control products to combat fleas, these aren’t strong enough to stop a fully fledged flea infestation. Each individual female flea lays up to 50 eggs per day, and these eggs wind up distributed all over the home.

Even if your pets live exclusively outdoors, fleas and their eggs easily hitch rides inside on clothing, soles of shoes, towels, and anything else that goes from outdoors into the home interior. Fleas find indoor conditions very comfortable, and colonies quickly develop and begin to multiply. Besides, outdoor pets can suffer greatly from fleas if left untreated, so it’s a good idea to take pest control measures for their benefit.

Fleas Bring Disease

The most well-known example of fleas and disease was the outbreak of the bubonic plague during the 14th century that wiped out approximately 60% of population of Europe. Fleas on black rats were carriers of this disease. Although plague cases are relatively rare in modern times, indications exist that this once nearly eradicated disease may be making a comeback. Small outbreaks have been noted in recent years in the American Southwest. Murine typhus is also transmitted by fleas from rodents and seems to be on the rise in southwestern states as well.

Fleas also act as parasite vectors, which results in increased risk of tapeworm and other internal parasite infestations. Certain individuals with allergies may experience respiratory distress if flea feces are inhaled.

Flea Treatment Options

Fleas are best treated before their numbers reach epidemic proportions, but many people wait until the situation becomes unbearable. A common mistake is to treat the pets themselves as well as their bedding when it becomes obvious that intervention is necessary. Although this is a great start, it isn’t enough. Successfully winning the war on fleas means treating both the indoor and outdoor home environments in ways designed to kill the insects in every stage of their development. Otherwise, the situation just becomes a vicious cycle.

How We Can Help

Worldwide Pest Control is standing by to help you solve all of your pest control needs, including fleas, ants, roaches, and any other insect pests that are having a negative effect on your quality of life. Please contact us today at your earliest convenience for more information on how to keep your home as pest-free as possible — inside and out. 

Cockroaches

German cockroaches are a major problem in kitchens throughout the United States, including kitchens in many homes in Texas.

German Cockroaches

A small but persistent cockroach, the German roach is recognizable by a pair of distinctive longitudinal stripes behind the head. German roaches are typically brownish in color and range from one-half of an inch to five-eighths of an inch in length.

German roaches survive only in indoor environments and require a steady supply of moisture to live. They are small enough to thrive in cracks and crevices in floors and walls. These pests are usually introduced to a house when homeowners inadvertently bring them home from a grocery store or through the purchase of an electrical appliance.

This species of cockroach can cause a variety of problems in a home. German roaches can carry many types of harmful germs and bacteria, including salmonella, shigella, E. coli, streptococcus, pinworms and tapeworms. These can lead to gastrointestinal problems or food poisoning in people. Like some other kinds of cockroaches, German roaches produce an allergen that can cause allergies and asthma in humans.

Even the cleanest homes in San Antonio can get roaches

It is a myth that only dirty homes attract cockroaches such as the German roach. The reality is that even clean and tidy kitchens can become infested with roaches. Late summer is the most common time for German roaches to invade kitchens, although they can appear at any time of the year.

If you have a problem with German roaches in your home, contact Worldwide Pest Control today and allow the company’s team of experts to provide a solution. Discover for yourself why so many customers are thoroughly satisfied with the services of Worldwide Pest Control. 

Carpenter Ants

Contrary to what you may think, carpenter ants don’t feed on wood. In the wild, they eat on insects and a liquid that aphids produce. If they enter your home, they’ll usually come out at night, looking for scraps and crumbs of human and pet food to keep them satiated.

What You Need to Know About Carpenter Ants

Even though there are more than 12,000 species of ants, only a handful of them are a problem in homes. Carpenter ants are one of them. These are the largest type of ant that you’ll typically find inside a residence or business.

Eighteen species of carpenter ants have been identified in Texas. The one that you’ll usually see indoors is between ¼-inch and 3/8-inch long. It has a reddish head and thorax and a black tail. Other species of carpenter ants may be yellow, brown or black.

You can usually identify them from their bent antennae and indented waist. They also have only one bump between the thorax and tail. The ones that usually invade Texas homes are big and black.

Carpenter ants generally live in trees, but they can invade your home any time of year. You’re most likely to notice them as winter turns to spring. They’ll emerge from their hiding spots to mate and form new colonies. When they’re ready to reproduce, carpenter ants have two pairs of wings, making them easily confused with termites. If you see winged ants indoors, they probably have built a nest in your building.

Contrary to what you may think, carpenter ants don’t feed on wood. In the wild, they eat on insects and a liquid that aphids produce. If they enter your home, they’ll usually come out at night, looking for scraps and crumbs of human and pet food to keep them satiated. They’ll also seek out sweets, such as sugar and honey.

While seeing ants in your kitchen can be a nuisance, you probably won’t see many carpenter ants there. Moreover, you’ll have more serious issues to deal with if you have a carpenter ant infestation. These creatures hollow out wood as they excavate tunnels for their nests. This can cause serious damage to the structure of your building.

Sometimes, they look for wood that already has cavities in it. Therefore, it’s important to patch up holes or cracks in the interior and exterior of your home. Because carpenter ants live in wood outdoors, you should make sure that no stumps, logs or live trees or shrubs come in contact with your building.

If you have a carpenter ant problem, you may notice piles or trails of sawdust near your walls. This is the material that comes out of their tunnels, and if you follow it, you may be able to find a nest. However, carpenter ants usually create their tunnels in unseen areas, where you won’t notice the sawdust.

Therefore, it’s important to call on an experienced professional to take care of a carpenter ant problem. Eradication methods are most effective when you can locate and treat the nest directly. At Worldwide Pest Control, we use methods to eliminate these pests completely. 

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs occur world-wide and bridge all economic and social strata. Bed bug infestations in North America have become much more common over the past 10 years.

Key Points

Bed bugs can be extremely difficult to detect. Proper diagnosis requires highly trained professionals.

Bed bug services are very labor intensive, rely on the careful use of residual pesticides and should only be conducted by highly trained professionals.

Adult bed bugs are brown to reddish-brown, approximately 3/16-inch long, 1/8-inch wide, broadly oval, and flat.

Proper service requires that ALL possible harborages are treated. This usually requires the complete cooperation of the customer to access all areas that need to be treated.

Bed bug bites are essentially painless and often go unnoticed while the bugs are feeding. Reactions to bed bug bites can range from no reaction at all to a very severe allergic reaction and the level of reaction tends to vary depending on the person.

One service WILL NOT eliminate bed bugs from your home. A typical bed bug management program consists of an intensive initial service followed by a number of follow up visits. These follow up visits are necessary to ensure a maximum level of control.

General Information About Bed Bugs

Bed bugs occur world-wide and bridge all economic and social strata. Bed bug infestations in North America have become much more common over the past 10 years. Adult bed bugs are brown to reddish-brown, approximately 3/16-inch long, 1/8-inch wide, broadly oval, and flat. Immature bed bugs (nymphs) are tiny and appear translucent or pale in color. The eggs are pearly white in color and only 1 mm in length, thus they can be very difficult to detect with the naked eye. Inspections for bed bugs include looking for live bugs, shed exoskeletons and characteristic black stains created by fecal droppings. These insects feed exclusively on blood however there has been no evidence to suggest that bed bugs transmit any diseases. Bed bug bites are essentially painless and often go unnoticed while the bugs are feeding. They hide in cracks and crevices, typically associated with beds and sofas, and can be difficult to detect. Therefore, infestations can grow rapidly and persist indefinitely until proper corrective actions are taken. Reactions to bed bug bites can range from no reaction at all to a very severe allergic reaction and the level of reaction tends to vary depending on the person.

Bed bugs do not enter homes from the natural outdoor environment. They must be introduced into the home from a previously infested environment. This can occur by picking them up during travel, bringing them in on rented or used furniture, introduction by guests or visitors, or other means. Often the exact source of the infestation is unknown. Ways to prevent introducing an infestation into your home is to avoid discarded furniture, inspect used furniture prior to entry into your home, briefly inspect hotel/motel rooms prior to staying in them and to be aware of the signs and symptoms of bed bugs so that you can identify an infestation as early as possible. It is best to leave the treatment of bed bugs to highly trained professionals due to the complex nature of bed bug infestations.

If you believe you may have an infestation of bed bugs in your apartment, please contact property management immediately and if you are in a personally owned home it is highly recommended you contact our company as soon as possible. Identifying the presence of bed bugs and starting service as soon as possible are important steps to make the process go as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

Honey Bees

Honey bees play an important part in the world around us and should be handled with care. Though they’re beneficial insects, they can also become a pest if they invade the wrong place.

Pest insects come in all shapes and sizes. Some are more important to people than others, such as a honeybee versus a mosquito. Honey bees play an important part in the world around us and should be handled with care. Though they’re beneficial insects, they can also become a pest if they invade the wrong place.

If you’re dealing with a honey bee infestation in or around your home, Worldwide Pest Control is here to help.

Honey Bees: An Important Species

Honey bees are pollinators and help flowers and crops to produce seeds and fruit. They fly from plant to plant and collect the pollen as they go. Every time they land on a new plant, they fertilize it with the pollen. If a plant isn’t fertilized, it won’t produce fruit or seeds.

Some crops depend on honeybees for pollination, such as blueberries and cherries. Almonds are another crop that depend entirely on bee pollination. Honey bees also produce honey, a delicious and beneficial treat for people.

Are Honey Bees Dangerous?

Although a honey bee makes honey and fertilizes crops, it has a stinger at the tip of its abdomen. This stinger makes the honey bee a dangerous insect, especially if you are allergic to stings. When a honey bee stings a person, it injects venom into the skin. The venom causes allergic reactions in some people, such as anaphylactic shock. The sting also affects the honey bee.

Because the stinger has two barbs, the bee is unable to pull it out of the skin. When the bee stings you, it tears part of its abdomen and leaves behind the stinger. The bee dies soon after.

What Problems Do Honey Bees Cause?

Honey bees are a concern for people with bee sting allergies. However, they also cause problems for various structures such as houses and businesses. Bees will sometimes build their colonies in the cracks and crevices along eaves and siding. They’re also known to get into attics through the vents, constructing a massive colony within someone’s home.

Having bees in your home is scary and life-threatening if you’re allergic to them. The honey can also cause problems for the overall structure as it drips from the hive onto the floor or down the walls. The honey can also attract other pest insects and create even more infestations inside your home.

Professional Honey Bee Control

Honey Bees are stinging insects, so you shouldn’t handle them on your own. Let the Worldwide Pest Control professionals take care of the problem for you. Contact us to receive a free quote on our honey bee control services and to learn more about how we remove the bees from your home. Without proper and immediate control, a honey bee colony will continue growing and causing more problems down the road. 

Scorpions

Scorpions are arachnids that have pincers and a stinger. Most people consider scorpions to be a frightening creature because of their appearance and the harm that they can cause humans and pets.

Scorpions are arachnids that have pincers and a stinger. Most people consider scorpions to be a frightening creature because of their appearance and the harm that they can cause humans and pets.

Scorpions are predators, and so they spend their time looking for prey. They get alarmed when other creatures approach them, and so they are known to sting people and pets that come too close to them. It is never a good idea to present yourself as a threat to a scorpion. Of course, this can happen accidentally, and so special precautions must be taken to prevent contact with a scorpion.

Scorpions found in San Antonio

The most common type of scorpion in San Antonio is the striped bark scorpion. These scorpions grow to be about two or three inches in length. Thanks to their size, they can hide all throughout the house and in the yard. Scorpions are nocturnal, and so they spend the day hiding and hunt during the evening. The striped bark scorpion’s string is not usually fatal, but people who are allergic to their poison may experience severe health problems if stung. Of course, you will not know if you are allergic until you are first stung.

Scorpions are active during the warm months of the year. They generally hide during the winter, but they do not leave your home. They crawl into the walls or the attic. They reproduce quickly, and so it is important to contact an exterminator immediately upon finding just one or two scorpions.

Professional Scorpion Extermination

Do not try to get rid of scorpions on your own because this can be dangerous and is usually ineffective. Instead, call the professionals at Worldwide Pest Control. One of our trained technicians will come out to your home and eliminate the scorpion problem. 

Rodents

Rodents are mammals that live throughout the world. When you think of these small animals, mice and rats probably come to mind.

Rodents are mammals that live throughout the world. When you think of these small animals, mice and rats probably come to mind. While these animals are a concern in Texas properties, so are other rodents, such as squirrels and chipmunks.

Although any rodent in your home might seem huge to a startled homeowners, mice are 1 to 4 inches long, not including the tail. Rats’ bodies are closer to 8 inches long. Rats’ tails can extend about 9 inches.

Common Rodents

In Texas, the most common types of rats are roof rats and Norway rats. Roof rats have dark fur on their backs, which ranges from brown to black. Norway rats have lighter brown fur, which is sprinkled with black. House mice have lighter brown coats.

Small rodents, such as mice, are sneaky. You may never see or hear them. However, these pests aren’t good at covering up their trails. You’ll probably notice droppings before you become aware of the tiny cracks through which the animals entered.

Fecal matter from mice tends to be fairly small. Rat droppings are about a half-inch long. Norway rat droppings are larger, with rounded ends. Roof rat feces are about a centimeter long, with pointed ends.

Norway rats and mice tend to stay close to the ground. They may come into your garage or basement when the weather turns cool. Roof rats climb trees to get into your attic. Still, you might not notice that they’re there until you have an infestation.

Signs of an Infestation

If you hear a lot of noise in your basement or attic, you probably have a problem with a larger rodent. Squirrels can get trapped in attics. If they do, they become frantic. They can chew their way through your home in an effort to get out. Chipmunks are less likely to come indoors. If they do, however, they can cause damage.

Any size rodent can be a big problem for homes and businesses. The holes that larger rodents use to enter the home can become entry points for larger animals. Smaller rodents may be even more destructive. They use their large teeth to gnaw at materials such as drywall and electrical wires. They’re more than a nuisance—they can cause expensive damage.

Moreover, rodents can bring germs, fleas and ticks indoors. They spread disease through fecal matter, urine or bites. Humans that handle live or dead rodents may be exposed to illnesses. People and pets can also contract diseases if they are bitten by an infected flea, tick or mite.

Protect your home, office and family from rodents by contacting Worldwide Pest Control for a free quote. We offer residential, commercial and specialized services, and no job is too big or small. We’ll eliminate the pests from your home and property and make sure that they don’t return.