Insects

We believe that our customers should be well informed, as well as protected from pests of all kinds. Here you will find pages that will give you information and images some of the most common pests you will find in and around your Texas home. If the information you are looking for is not here, please call us for a free consultation!

Spiders

Texas has two venomous species of spiders, the black widow (Latrodectus mactans) and the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa). Both of these species of spiders can be found indoors and outdoors through out the State of Texas. 

Symptoms of Envenomization by Spiders
The severity of a victim’s reaction to any spider bite depends on the area of the body bitten, the amount of venom injected, depth of the bite, the victim’s age, and other factors. Additionally symptoms usually differ between black widow bite victims and brown recluse bite victims. Many times, the bite of a spider feels like a pin-prick and may not be noticed by the victim. 

General Black Widow Spider Envenomization Symptoms

• abdominal cramping 
• abdominal rigidity 
• convulsions 
• headache 
• lesion at site of bite 
• nausea 
• pain 
• profuse sweating 
• tremors 
• unconsciousness 
• vomiting 

General Brown Recluse Spider Envenomization Symptoms

• chills 
• fever 
• nausea 
• necrosis at the bite site 
• nothing 
• red white and blue lesion at the bite site 
• restlessness 
• weakness 

Fire Ants

Fire ant nests are like small cities, sometimes containing as many as 200,000 ants, according to Texas A&M University. Fire ants are very aggressive when their nest is disturbed. Stings can be life-threatening for people allergic to the venom of fire ants. A single sting can produce symptoms of anaphylaxis in just a few minutes.

Wasps

No homeowner likes to discover that wasps have taken up residence in the attic. Not only can they be an annoyance, but they can also be dangerous for residents who have allergies to stings. While roof dwelling wasps usually prefer to build their nests under the home's eaves, they may take advantage of cracks and holes in the roof itself as this provides protection for the colony.

Crickets

The Southern Mole Cricket was first introduced to the United States in 1904 via ship transfer at a harbor in Brunswick. This species continued to be introduced to southeastern states, and in 1925 it was introduced to Port Arthur, Texas. The majority of damage caused by the Southern Mole Cricket results from girdling plant roots underground and pulling small plants completely below ground. Small seedlings are at the most risk. Tunneling damage is caused more by the Southern Mole Cricket than other Mole Crickets in the United States. Due to the aggressive tunneling, turf grasses such as bermudagrass is often injured more in comparison to grass with dense growth.