Why Is Pest Control Important In Southern Utah?

Pests, including insects and rodents, can present a hazard to your home and you and your family members. A good property management company will take care of pest control for you. They’ll hire a professional to come to your home to assess the potential for pest infestation, any damage done, and discuss a long-term maintenance and prevention plan to keep insects and rodents away.

If you research good property management companies Utah, you’ll find that Real Property Management Southern Utah is one of the best.

 

What Are Destructive Pests?

Destructive pests can do hundreds to thousands of dollars of damage to homes and other properties. Here are some examples:

Termites – These unwanted house guests may, unfortunately, do a lot of damage before a homeowner even knows they’re there, and they are a huge problem in Southern Utah. There are two kinds of termites:

• subterranean, which live in the soil,
• and drywood, which live in the wood within a home.

They both feed on cellulose, which can be found in anything from wood to books and furniture.

A termite looks like an ant mutation with six legs and straight antennae, which is different from the crooked ant antennae. Their bodies are whitish in color, segmented and fuller than an ant’s; they are about the size of a medium to large ant.

Since they do most of their damage deep within the walls of homes, there may be no outward indication of their presence. Some possible signs may be some wings that have been shed, or one lone termite wandering around, or the presence of straw like mud tubes near the foundation of the house.

That’s why it’s important to have a yearly inspection for termites by a professional to eliminate any infestations and prevent any further damage.

 

Carpenter ants – These are the largest of the ant population. Although they don’t eat wood, carpenter ants can be very destructive to a home. They burrow through wood that is either already dead or decaying and then set up colonies in the wood. This, of course, can damage the structure of a building.

 

These ants can also deliver a painful bite although it isn’t poisonous. But they also have the ability to spray a formic acid substance from their abdomen that can cause skin problems. The only way to get rid of this pest problem is to find and kill the queen of the colony.

 

Rodents – Rats have become a larger problem now in southern Utah than in the past and can be found nearly anywhere there is food, water, and a place to hide. They can cause damage to walls due to chewing, but may also chew such things as electrical wires, possibly causing the threat of an electrical fire. Not only can they be destructive to the building structure, but they also carry diseases and can cause health problems to anyone living in the home. It’s important to get rid of these pests, as well as come up with a good program to keep them away.

 

What Pests Can Put Your Health at Risk?

Here are several examples of pests that can pose health risks to humans, if their populations go unchecked.

Cockroaches – There are four main types of cockroaches found in Southern Utah – the American, Oriental, German and Brown Banded. They range in color from reddish brown to brown to black. They have somewhat oval bodies with six long legs that help them run fast, and very long antennae. Roaches are dirty insects that can carry diseases, causing such things as dysentery and food poisoning.

They are nocturnal and spend the night foraging for food anywhere they can, but mainly in kitchen areas. Disease-causing bacteria will collect on their bodies and legs and be transmitted to food and utensils as they run around throughout the kitchen.

Since they are mainly active at night, seeing any during the day could mean there is an infestation of them. Usually, they will be hiding during the day in cracks and crevices since their bodies can flatten enough to get them into tight dark places.

They are important to eliminate because if left unchecked, they will rapidly reproduce.

 

Spiders – The black widow can be found all over southern Utah. The venom in the bite from this spider can be up to ten times more potent than a rattlesnake, so it’s necessary to control this dangerous pest.

A black widow is recognizable by its shiny black body and bright red hourglass shape on its belly. You might not see one during the day, as they are nocturnal, but you may find their erratic spiderweb that is rather chaotic looking compared to the web of a regular yard spider. They can lay anywhere up to 2000 eggs a month in the warm summer months.

Eradicating these spiders is important because they tend to hide in places such as children’s play sets and slides, causing a potential threat to any children playing in the yard.

 

Scorpions – There are many different types of scorpions living in Utah. The only one that is very dangerous is the Arizona Bark Scorpion, which gets its name from the fact that it lives mainly within the bark of palm trees. It’s two to three inches long and of a light tan color. Its venom compares to that of a poisonous snake.

Although they will illuminate at night under a fluorescent light and be easy to see, they can be difficult to get rid of and, therefore, should be done by a professional.

 

Bed bugs – Tiny creatures that live in such places as beds, furniture and linen, bed bugs multiply rapidly and are becoming a significant problem in Southern Utah. They pose health problems because they will bite, causing skin irritations and possible allergic reactions. They’re so tiny that they’re hard to see, but a professional pest control service will be able to identify and treat this problem before it gets out of control.

 

Stinging insects – Flying insects that sting, such as wasps and yellow jackets, can cause significant problems for those allergic to them. Even for those not allergic, the sting is very painful and can result in swelling and discomfort for hours. It’s important to get rid of nests and seal any possible cracks in a home where they might enter and build more nests. This needs to be done by professionals due to the obvious danger of trying this yourself.

 

These are just a few of the many pests you might find in Utah. The main point is that unless they are dealt with and eliminated as soon as possible, they can turn into a nightmare infestation for anyone living in your home. Don’t try to treat them on your own. Let the professionals handle it, since they are trained to find even the most elusive pests that may be lurking in the cracks and crevices of your walls.