Health

Which Pest Are The Most Destructive To Your Home?

Bug Identification in Arizona – The most destructive household pests

It is said that insects will inherit the Earth. While that may well be true, you don’t have to give them the keys to your house just yet. Household pests can damage your home in different ways. Some, like termites in Arizona, damage the structure of the house itself. Others destroy plants in the garden. Still others can damage your health. By knowing which pests are the most destructive to your home, you can take steps to keep them out of your garden, off your doorstep and out of the house.

Pests that damage property

Bugs that damage property include termites. Not only do they feast upon the wood in and around your house, they can lower the property value of your home. The arid-land subterranean termite is the most common and most destructive termite in Arizona, although the western drywood termite is responsible for most of the drywood damage. Other common varieties are the Pacific dampwood termite and the desert subterranean termite. According to the University of Arizona, mice are a menace to property. They damage buildings, utility systems and communications. The best methods of managing these pests is to limit clutter, maintain high levels of sanitation and limit access to food.

Pests in the garden

A surprising garden pest in Arizona is the deer. Snacking on ornamental plants, these lovable mammals also harbor the deer tick, a health hazard and actually one of the three most common ticks. Keeping Bambi’s relatives out of the back yard involves installing a ten-foot fence. An easier control strategy is to not plant anything that might attract them. Another garden invader is the cricket. As endearing as the sound of distant chirping on a balmy summer night may be, you can have too much of a good thing and they do cause damage. They can be kept to tolerable levels by cultural, mechanical and biological control mechanisms.

Bugs that are harmful to health

Of the bugs that damage health, the scorpion triggers many calls to Arizona pest control companies. Their bite is not lethal but it does hurt. It is a common myth that scorpions die in winter. They actually live for three to seven years if left unchecked. They are less active in the winter, which makes it a good time to undertake scorpion control measures. Bee control in Arizona is important, particularly where Africanized (“killer bees”) are concerned. In the Phoenix area alone, 95% of the wild bees are Africanized. These winged beasts are aggressive and their removal should only be attempted by an experienced exterminator.