News & Updates from Fullscope Pest Control

BUG BITE IDENTIFICATION: HELP IDENTIFYING COMMON BUG BITES AND STINGS

How do you know you have been beaten by a type of bug without necessarily visiting a doctor? Find below an overview of bugs identification.

Ants

Sting Appearance

• Redness on the spot
• Swelling of the bitten spot

Sting Symptoms

• Slight pain.
• Allergic reaction: Some people have been known to react to an ant bite. Understanding your own allergies will help you remain calm. Some of these allergies are sneezing, wheezing, hives, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, sudden anxiety, dizziness, finding it difficult to breathe, stiffness of the chest, itching, swollen face.

Note:

There is every chance that a person allergic to wasp and bee stings would show the same signs of allergies when stung by an ant. 

Bed Bug

Bite Appearance

• Red Welts: This can small, raised or even flat.
• Swelling
• Red rash
• The space between the lines can be tight.

Bite Symptoms

• A burning sensation immediately you are bitten
• Itching
• You might not have a reaction. In fact, the bite might not be seen.

Notes

You may not notice the symptoms or signs for days, giving even the same bug the chance to bite you regularly.

Blister Beetle

Bite Appearance

• Blisters or welts
• These blisters and welts are caused by a chemical known as cantharidin

Bite Symptoms

• You discover within a few hours of coming contact with it.
• Temporary damage to the skin.

Note

Avoid crushing the blister beetles on your skin; their chemical can still cause the blister or welts. Instead, remove them.

Brown Recluse Spider

Bite Appearance

• Reddening and swelling
• You might find blisters at the bite spot

Bite Symptoms

• Gentle skin irritation. It will cause itching.
• Cause scratch on the skin.

Note

There are no known and verified fatalities. If left untended, however, you might be faced with deep scarring.

Fire Ant

Sting Appearance

• Red welts or lumps are sure to surface
• Multiple stings are done in a semi-circular
• It can evolve into a blister

Sting Symptoms

• Burning sensation
• stinging sensation

Notes

Fire ants are persistent. They tend to return to their last stings. 

Fleas

Bite Appearance

• It leaves you with red spots with red haloes around them.
• A most likely place to find them are legs and feet

Bite Symptoms

- Really itchy

Notes

If your wound is excreting pus, contact a doctor immediately.

Horsefly

Bite Appearance

• Bleeding (horseflies love to feed on blood).
• Reddish bumps

Bite Symptoms

• Their bites are painful.
• Soreness to the bitten area.
• Itchiness of the bitten area.

Notes

Horsefly is aggressive. They will bite with a different kind of force. You should treat it immediately with antibacterial medication because their bites are infectious.

Lice

Bite Appearance

• They bite people in pubic hair, armpit, or eyebrow.
• Bluish-grey skin reactions sores
• The appearance of small bumps, usually red.

Bite Symptoms

• Continuous itching, which will likely get worse at night.
• Presence of eggs in the hair. The eggs are tiny and white and are called nits.

Notes

Itching start at a different time for different people. While it may start immediately for some people, it can start late for some people. We are looking at 2-4 weeks after contact.

Mosquito

Bite Appearance

• Hard bumps
• Sometimes, you might encounter a puffy bump, which has a red dot right in the middle.
• Some other bumps are smaller than bumps and might even have semblance with blisters

Bite Symptoms

- Itching

Notes

If you are not mindful in the case of children, you might encounter those with large swellings or even low-grade fever on its.

Scabies

Appearance

• You will find pimple-like rashes around places like your wrist, elbow, buttocks, armpits, nipple, waist, belt-line, buttocks, and even between your fingers
• You might encounter small raised lines on the surface of your skin.

Symptoms

• Itching that tends to become intense and worsen by the day
• Numbness at the sting site
• Tingling around the sting site
• Swelling of the affected area

Notes

The itch mites that cause scabies are not always coming intending to bite, instead, they have the intention to burrow and eat your skin.

Spiders

- A pair of puncture marks with a close together.

Bite Symptoms

• Widow spiders: They leave you with muscle cramps and pain. Also, they cause blood pressure to increase and cause sweating as well as a skin rash.
• Violin Spiders:  Anaemia, fever, rash, nausea, bloody urine, vomiting and coma, which is rare.

Notes

There are several things associated with spider bites.

Ticks

Bite Appearance

- When you encounter ‘Bulls-eye’ rash on your skin, then you should know you have encountered tick that had Lyme disease.

Bite Symptoms

• The bite area will be disturbed with a type of redness
• Itchy feeling.

Lone Star ticks  (Amblyomma americanum) are typically found in wooded areas with plenty of undergrowth and foliage, and especially near animal (i.e., deer, coyotes) resting spots. They can also make their way to your Cleveland, TX yard, and to your pets, and worse yet, to you and your family members. Lone Star ticks are not known to transmit Lyme disease specifically, but these unwelcome pests have a reputation for biting humans aggressively when opportunity presents itself. Lone Star tick larvae do not carry disease, but the nymphs and adults definitely do (e.g., Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and 'STARI' borreliosis).

Can Lone Star Ticks Hurt Dogs?

Adult Lone Star ticks are active from about April until late August, and are most commonly after large animals, such as coyotes, deer, cattle, dogs, and humans in tall, shady grassy areas as well as at the tips of low lying branches. Lone Star females feature a distinguishing single white dot in the center of their reddish-brown to brown bodies. They require a blood meal to reproduce, and after about a week or so, can lay up to 3,000 eggs. Males feature whitish spots or streaks around the outer edges of their body. 

Lone star ticks can transmit infectious agents that cause a number of diseases harmful to dogs, such as Ehrlichiosis, a disease that causes vomiting, lethargy, enlarged glands, and bleeding. It can even kill your dog if serious enough a case. 

There are over one thousand different species of millipedes in the United States, and many are found in Texas. Most of them vary in color from grey to light brown, and even to orange, and they are known to move very slowly. They all appear to have hundreds of "wavy" legs. Most millipede species take at least a year or two to be able to reproduce, and after that, they can live another 5 to 10 years.

Millipedes are mainly outdoor creatures, but at times, may find their way into your home. Once inside, they will seek out damp, dark areas to hide out. They can also attract pests that hunt and feed on them, like ants and spiders.

These arthropod pests love crawling around and living in damp soil, mulch, decomposing leaves, root systems, and rotting thatch. It's their main source of nutrition, and they will stick around as long as there is a food supply to support their population, which can get into the hundreds in an average yard. 

How to Prevent Millipede Invasions

One good thing about millipedes is that they are virtually harmless; they don't bite, sting, or transmit diseases. But they are a bit of a nuisance.

Stopping millipede invasions takes some preventive steps, starting with identifying possible nesting sites. Knowing where they nest (it will usually be along one side of your home) helps you know where to minimize the damp, decomposing conditions in which millipedes thrive. Eliminating these will mean fewer of them will stick around your yard, and fewer will wander inside your home.

The first step is to identify nest sights. This will allow you to minimize the conditions these pests need which in turn will lead to less getting inside. Look to see where they are invading. In most cases, you will find them along one side or wall of your home.

Move mulch and firewood away from the side of your home, at least 20 feet, and clear grass clippings, compost piles, leaf debris, and other organic plant matter from your yard. 

Keep thatch buildup raked from off of your lawn. Eliminating these conditions will keep millipedes and other pests away from your home. They will go elsewhere for food and shelter. 

Also, don't forget to seal up cracks, crevices, and other holes around your home's foundation. Screen off utility/pipe entry points (or stuff gaps with steel wool). 

Millipedes are not dangerous at all, but they can invade your home and create an unpleasant situation if they are allowed harborage for long enough. And remember they attract ants and spiders that feed on them. The faster you act to control them, the quicker you can rest easy. Save yourself plenty of time, money, and headaches by calling our Conroe, TX pest control experts. Call us today so we can get cracking on getting your yard free of millipedes and other invasive pests.

Appearance

How to Identify?

• Hourglass Marking: One way to identify a black widow is the underside of their abdomen. They have red hourglass markings they. These markings are always bright reds and it’s a way to wards off predators and attackers.
• Color: As their name implies, they are black but shiny.
• Size: The average size of a black widow is 3 to 10mm in size. Most of the females are larger than their male counterpart; thus, we can see female’s black widows as large as 13mm in body length.

Latin Name

Latrodectus spp.

Characteristics

They have certain characteristics that also set them apart from other spiders:

• Comb foot: Their comb feet set them apart from every other spider. This food can be found on the hind of pair of their legs and can be used to pitch silk around their capture prey.
• Shy: They love their own company. They only socialize to copulate and nothing else.
• Nocturnal: Black widows only spin webs during the daytime. They are mostly nocturnal.
• Hang Upside Down: They have the tendencies to hang upside down within their web. This way you can see their hourglass abdominal marking.

Why Do You See Black Widow Spiders in Your House?

Ever wondered why you have black widows in your house or even around you, then these might be the reasons:

1. Unkempt Yards: Black widow spiders are fond of yards that are not in good conditions. As you are aware that a good yard would generally all other insects. To start with, they are found under tall grasses, stacks of woods or even debris. They use these places as a place to store food, hide, and build webs.
2. Vulnerable Places: When your home or yard has faced a lot of insect’s infestation or is currently facing one, there is a higher chance of battling another black widows at that same time. Black widow spiders find smaller insect succulents and would want to feed on them. They are likely to eat things ants, flies, and others pest. Thus, when your door or window has a crack big enough for them to enter, then these spiders would come into the house to hunt for these smaller insects. 

Should You Be Afraid of Their Presence?

While they are like a ‘present’ in the present moment, the female ones can be harmful to human. Their presence can help you get rid of those smaller insects. The attack can come in when the female ones are provoked. 

In the United States, the black widow spiders have been known to deliver the most toxic bite ever seen in a spider. Their venom is mixed with neurotoxins and could be a potential danger to the nervous system.

Signs of a Black Widow

One way to know you have a black widow in your home is to look at the pattern of their web. Their webs are located near the ground level but far enough like under a protected ledge, places like your lawn furniture or even woodpiles. Also, the iconic red hourglass marking is an indication of their presence.

Getting Rid of Black Widow Spiders

Get trained professionals involved in managing the presence of these pests. They will take your home or yard into consideration before giving you a program to help in getting rid of these pests.

The process of getting rid of spiders is split into three because you can never get rid of spiders once. Thus, the professionals would firstly:

• Assess: They will understand the situation and take note of the root cause. They will seek out other overlooked factors that might have brought the spiders to your home. If one of the cause is the presence of another type of pests, they will determine the reasons those pests are in your home. That way, their works will focus on their analysis.
• Implementation: After understanding the root causes of their presence, they will implement their proposed solutions. They will be drastic and thorough in ensuring your home is free from the infestation of these pests. They have the necessary pieces of equipment needed to keep your home or yard free from these pests.
• Monitoring: They will not only ensure your home is rid of these pests, they will also do regular check-ups to enable you to have a home free from these pests. They will schedule a time for a visit to ensure their work is permanent.

Black Widow Webs

Black widows are known for spinning a large web. The strength of this large web is such that the females suspend cocoons of hundreds of eggs in them. Their webs are also instruments of capturing preys like flies, grasshoppers, beetles, and so many others.

Yellow jackets are often mistaken for bees, being of similar size and coloring, but they actually belong to the wasp family. These stinging insects can terrorize yards, ball fields, and parks everywhere, including in New Caney, Texas. And nothing ruins a cookout or ballgame faster than being stung by yellow jackets! Here are 8 facts about these outdoor pests. 

Facts About Yellowjackets

1. Yellowjackets live in colonies made up of workers and a queen. Queens stay in the nest and lay eggs while the workers' job is to build the nest, protect the queen and the eggs/young, and find food for the colony members. Yellowjacket colonies can grow over time up to about the size of a basketball and can house 4,000 to 5,000 occupants. Nests are usually occupied for one season, after which the yellowjacket workers die off.
2. Unlike bees, yellowjacket stingers don't detach when they sting you. They can sting you multiple times! If you get stung enough (or if you're allergic to yellowjacket venom), you might need to seek medical attention.
3. Try not to squash a yellowjacket. When squashed, they release a pheromone that attracts others from their colony, and incites them to attack you if you're nearby.
4. Unlike paper wasps, yellowjackets don't build their nests underneath the eaves of your home's roof. They either build their nests in the ground, or in protected areas like a hollowed out tree or in a crawlspace.  
5. Yellowjackets eat sweet sap and nectar from fruits and plants, and sometimes eat other insects. At times they try to steal and eat the honey from nearby honeybee colonies. They also enjoy sweet foods and drinks that humans eat.
6. Some insects try to imitate yellowjacket colors and patterns to ward off predators.
7. Some yellowjacket nests have been recorded as holding as many as 100,000 stinging colony members.
8. You should never swat at a yellowjacket, as this will only incite it to attack you. If you encounter one (or any other stinging insect), slowly back away from it and try not to make sudden motions.

Yellowjackets and other stinging insects have a knack for ruining your outdoor fun. Even if you implement preventive measures, you might still get caught off guard by a hidden colony. The best landscapers can encounter them occasionally. Save yourself all sorts of stress, and time and money by calling our New Caney, TX pest control experts today! Let us help you enjoy the summer more with your family by helping get rid of those stinging pests.