Carpenter Ants: These larger ants are attracted to wet and rotting wood and can be structurally damaging. Building nests in damp, decaying or hollow wood or forests, unlike the termite, carpenter ants do not consume wood.
Spiders
Hobo Spider: Once believed to be venomous, hobo spiders are now known as neither toxic nor aggressive, although they will bite in self-defense. These brownish spiders can be difficult to identify, since they vary in appearance. They construct funnel-shaped webs with an escape route, such as a crack or corner, at one end.
Termites
Termites feed on wood, paper, cardboard and other cellulose-containing materials. There are two common species in the Pacific Northwest: the Western Subterranean Termite and the Pacific Dampwood Termite.
Bed Bugs
They prefer to hide in small, dark spaces like mattress seams and cracks in the wall, and they feed on human blood. Preferring uncovered skin, bed bugs often leave behind three bites in a row, as though they’ve had breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Fleas
Rodents sometimes carry harmful diseases which can spread to people through bites, contaminated food and water, germs from rodent urine or droppings that are in the air. Disease is also spread from rodent ticks, mites, and fleas. Rats and mice are present nearly everywhere on earth where there are humans. Solving rodent issues requires an understanding of their characteristics and habits. Fortunately, they can be predictable.
Cockroaches
American Cockroach: The largest cockroach species in the Pacific Northwest, we mostly find them in older downtown buildings and sub-basements. American cockroaches tend to be reddish-brown and around one and a half inches in length. Although they present less of a health threat than some other species, they can pose a concern when they move from sewers into commercial establishments, bringing contaminants along with them.
Bees
Honey Bees: Bees are different from wasps; they’re plumper, more mild-mannered, and generally more interested in flowers than your lunch or garbage. Unlike wasps, they can only sting once before they die, which makes them hesitant to sting unless they feel their hive is genuinely threatened. Because honey bees are a vital part of our ecosystem, call Paratex for referrals to services that will remove and relocate bees without harming them.
Wasps
Yellowjackets: Yellowjackets commonly build nests underground in rockeries or old rodent burrows. Like other wasps, they hibernate and die off during the winter, are at their largest numbers during the summer, and can sting repeatedly with their lance-like stingers. They become aggressive scavengers around garbage and meat smells, as well as other human food and drink, in the late summer.
Ticks
Beetles
Ambrosia Beetle: These small brown or black beetles cultivate “ambrosia fungi” in colonies inside cut or felled trees or fresh, unseasoned lumber. Damage to cut timber can occur when not seasoned or dried quickly – often not discovered until transport and construction have occurred.
Hornets
Bald-faced Hornets: Bald-faced hornets, which are not true hornets but rather wasps, usually nest in trees and shrubs or under overhangs. Their nests resemble large paper footballs. With large black and white rather than black and yellow bodies, they’re easy to distinguish from yellowjackets. These wasps are highly territorial and can spray venom into intruders’ eyes in addition to stinging, causing temporary blindness.
Moths
Food-storage Moths: Quite a few species of moths in the Pacific Northwest favor common pantry foods. The Angoumois grain moth, for instance, deposits its eggs on grain kernels. Its larvae eat through the kernel and develop inside, rendering the grain unfit for consumption and giving it an unpleasant smell.
Paratex has many years of experience in bird control. Every job is different and our ability to both design and install has allowed us to understand the balance of aesthetics and effectiveness. Our strength comes from our partnerships within the industry. Collaborating with multiple manufacturers gives us the ability to custom design a system that will perform for the life of the structure.
Rodents sometimes carry harmful diseases which can spread to people through bites, contaminated food and water, germs from rodent urine or droppings that are in the air.
Mice
Roof rats are climbers and often infest attic areas and walls. By nature they can easily scale tree limbs, clinging vines or along overhead wires and utility lines. Like all rats and mice their front teeth are constantly growing so they need to gnaw to keep them worn down. They will readily chew wood siding, concrete, insulation or electrical wires – though they will eat almost anything and aren’t always up high; sometimes in rockeries, crawl spaces or wood piles.
Rats
Unlike the Roof rat, the bigger Norway rat likes to burrow in the ground, sewers (also called Sewer rats), cellars or garbage areas. They are excellent swimmers, nocturnal and often in groups. They eat a lot and drink lots of water.
Squirrels
Paratex will service mole issues on a case by case basis or for existing customers. For other rodents (squirrels, voles, mountain beavers, etc.) we are always happy to help with referrals based on your area and situation or provide further information that may help.