Insect Identification

Pest control professionals have heard thousands of frustrated people complaining that the pesticide sprays they bought did not work. Or, the exterminator they hired never got rid of the problem. There is a solution to every pest problem, but you can't expect a cure if you don't first correctly identify the cause of the problem.

"Doctor! My foot was really sore. None of the pain medications seemed to make me feel better until someone told me to remove the large nail that was sticking out of my shoe.” Now that you get the picture, let's have the subject pest properly identified.

“Capturing a sample of one of the critters is most important. Try to keep in mind that someone needs to look at the insect under some type of microscope or hand lens. So, don't scrunch it up in a piece of tissue or stick it to adhesive tape. Try to put it in an old medicine bottle or one of the million plastic containers we all collect after the store-bought coleslaw is gone. If the pest is sneaky and refuses to come out of hiding until long after you have gone to bed, buy glue boards at the grocery store or home center. Place them exactly where you have seen the pest before and put a dot of food in the middle of the traps.

If you get lucky and catch one of the pests, bring it to your friendly local pest control company or a county Extension agent. Both sources can be found in any hone book.

Why, you ask, is it so important to get a proper identification? Mother Nature throws a lot of pests at us, but she also gives us clues to follow to get rid of the little invaders. Let's take ants as an example. If it's a Carpenter ant, that tells us there is a moisture problem that must be fixed. If it is a Large Yellow ant, also called a Citronella ant, we know it is a nuisance, but does no harm to stored goods or structures.

Most pests have distinct nesting behaviors. Once we identify the pest we can pretty much tell you where it is nesting, what it is feeding on, whether it is just passing through or making a permanent home and most importantly, what to do about it.

From that point it's up to you. You can look up your captured pest on the web and search for the proper control recommendations or you can just call a pest management pro and let us take care of it.