The purpose of this section is to provide a verified source of physical identification to our customers. It is NOT intended to be an exhaustive source of information since there is plenty of information available on thousands of other web sites.
These three ants generate, by far, the most trouble and the most phone calls of any other ants we deal with here in East Texas. We've pictured them along with some particular details to help you discern the differences.
Spiders
Black Widow spiders are usually discovered near the ground and around metal buildings and doors. They're also prevalent around brick homes. Probably because they prefer a heat source and both of these surfaces absorb & reflect the sun's warmth. They can expected to live around downspouts, electric meters, water hoses, barns, garages, wood piles, basements, crawlspaces, etc.
Termites
If your lending institution requires a WDI (Wood Destroying Insect) Report, we’ll provide a very thorough inspection of your property for not only termites, but also look for any additional wood-boring insects and/or conducive environment that can cause, or invite, damage to the wood of your property.
Bed Bugs
After several months of preparation, I was fortunate this February to attend the Bed Bug Central bootcamp in hosted in New Jersey. There, we were versed in what does and doesn't work long-term, …
Fleas
When they feed, they tend to feed in somewhat of a straight line. If you can imagine your arm or leg lying along the mattress which allows the bed bugs to line up and feed, sort of like pigs at a trough, to use a rough analogy. Whereas other insects such as fleas or mosquitoes would feed sporadically in various places across the body and it wouldn't be confined to a linear grouping of bites.
Cockroaches
The American cockroach is one of the largest roaches in North America, measuring up to 1.5" long. It prefers dark, moist locations where it can feed on decaying organic matter. We generally find them underneath houses and buildings during inspections. If you're having problem seeing this roach, the source is almost always underneath your home.
Bees
“Thank you so much for telling me all you know about Carpenter Bees. Most importantly, thank you for telling me you will take care of the problem for me. That is what I appreciate about your company. You diagnose the pest problems, explain the pest’s behaviors, and then attack the pest. After being away from my home for three years, you and your employees have made my home livable again.
Wasps
Wasps frequently nest inside and underneath eaves, inside the lapped grooves of cedar siding or corner trim, along roof lines, underneath decks and walkways, handrails, boathouses, playground equipment, etc.
Ticks
This is also good for other insect populations (spiders, ants, scorpions, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, centipedes, millipedes, black flies, gnats, mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, etc.) that are in abundance around the house and quick control is necessary in order to kill off the life cycle and get out ahead of the pest problem.
Crickets
Scorpions can often be found around homes and in garages. It is a night feeder attracted to water, swimming pools, irrigated areas, or outside lights where food prey such as beetles, cockroaches, crickets, moths, and other insects are attracted as well. During the day it may be found in woodpiles, palm trees, and decorative bark or under loose boards, woodpiles, rocks, or the bark of trees. Scorpions may also enter homes in search of water. Common indoor places where it might be found are dark, cool areas in the bathroom or kitchen as well as crawl spaces, attics, and closets. They're also found in cracks and crevices of woodwork, behind baseboards, and inside walls. Scorpions gain entry into buildings through poorly sealed doors and windows, cracks in foundations, attic vents that aren’t properly screened, and through plumbing and other openings.
Mosquitoes
Contact us and we will come to your home and professionally design a system layout customized for your environment. We know just where to install our precision engineered nozzles, whether on the eaves of your home, along a fence line, at your boathouse, or in your landscaping, to stop mosquitoes at the source while preserving the beauty of your yard.
Flies
Other fly problems may involve Cluster flies, Moth or Drain flies, Phorid flies, Fruit flies, and others (see pics below). Fly control is not an exact science and will always be an ongoing battle from year to year. It often involves experimentation at times to find the right approach to a particular problem. Since they have wings, this is an insect that can go virtually anywhere.
Centipedes
Millipedes
Beetles
Hard to imagine that something so small can bring down a healthy pine tree so quickly. Below are pics demonstrating what size they are, and the entry/exit hole size to look for on your pine tree bark.
Scorpions
At Gary's Termite & Pest Control, we have many customers that depend on us to control scorpions on their property and prevent them from entering their homes and businesses. Our East Texas soils and temperatures provide ample living conditions for scorpions and so their control and elimination must be planned for in any outdoor pest control procedures.
Moths
Mites
Aphids
In Texas, we have two species of Carpenter ants: a red & black (pictured left) and a much larger solid black species (right pic). The middle pic demonstrates Carpenter ants taking an interest in the honeydew generated from the aphids present on a tree limb. This is a favorite sweet meal of any ant.
Gnats
Keeping ants, roaches, flies and gnats, and other pests under control often requires regular application of pesticides and other pest monitoring devices. We'll assess your risks and work with you to determine whether you need a program of regularly scheduled visits or if you prefer, a service contract.
Unlike moles, whose tunnels are visible along the surface of the ground, gopher tunnels are not visible, only their mounds. The mounds are simply the total sum of soil removed from a segment of tunnel, so the larger the mound, the longer the tunnel segment. Segments tend to be 5'-7' lengths long. The mounds, when fresh, appear fan-shaped (pic 3) because the gopher throws out the soil primarily in one direction because of the slope of the exit tunnel. Once the segment excavation is complete, the gopher will then seal the hole with soil (soil plug) to prevent predators or rain from entering (pic 3).
Snakes
The snakes we've included on this page are the most commonly found in our area of East Texas. We've divided the snakes into two sections: Venomous and Non-venomous.
Your team of pest control experts have performed pest control here for over a decade and are fully insured and licensed. Skilled in all phases of pest management, we're prepared to meet any challenge and solve any problems you may be encountering, from insects to rodents to wildlife, we do it all!
Mice
Sure the television commercials and chain stores make it seem easy. Slick marketing requires them to make it look easy or else you wouldn't buy their products and try it yourself. After all, you just purchase some traps and poisons and put it all out there for the rodents to find and wallahhhh...end of the problem, right? WRONG! If you've ever found yourself thinking this, you've already misunderstood rodent control completely! Plus, it's not exactly that easy as you've probably already realized. After all, they use mice and rats in laboratory experiments
Rats
Squirrels
Whether it's Gray Squirrels or Flying Squirrels, these little critters often chew their way into attics, walls, and crawlspaces, looking for nesting sites. These are intelligent, vertebrates that can virtually go anywhere, making trapping quite difficult and time consuming. We often have to go with the flow and be flexible in our approach because every squirrel intrusion is unique.
Gophers
One gopher can create several mounds per day. Mounds appear more often during spring or fall when the soil is moist and easy to dig. In irrigated areas such as lawns, flower beds, and gardens, digging conditions usually are optimal year round and mounds may appear at any time. Gophers don’t hibernate and are active year-round, although you might not see any fresh mounding. They also can be active at all hours of the day.