A Varied Carpet Beetle (pictured top, left) has a black center with yellow, brown, and white spots in various spots. It is round and approximately 1/16″ long. They get their name from the rainbow of colors on their back. They eat carpets, wool fabrics, dead insects, hides, and bones. They can damage fabrics, upholstery, and carpets.

To help prevent an infestation of the varied carpet beetle, store fabrics in plastic containers and dry clean clothing before storing for a long period of time.

Powderpost Beetle

Powderpost Beetles (pictured top, middle) are reddish brown in color and are approximately 1/8 to 1/4″ long. They lay eggs in the cracks of wood and the larvae tunnel to the surface leaving a powderlike substance. They enjoy flying and are attracted to light. They often attack hardwood floors, timbers and crates, antiques, and other items made of wood. Some researchers believe powderpost beetles to be second only to termites in the United States in their destructiveness to wood and wood products.

To help prevent powderpost beetles from destroying wood in your home, check wood products often for evidence.

Merchant Grain Beetle

Merchant Grain Beetles (pictured top, right) are brown in color and approximately 1/10″ long. They have six saw-like teeth on either side of their bodies. They enjoy eating cake mixes, cereals, macaroni, cookies, and chocolate. They are often found in cabinets, pantries, and manufacturing plants for these items. Its body makes it easy to gain entrance to packaging to eat and lay eggs. They can infest food products and contaminate food.

To help prevent merhant grain beetles, discard packaging that is infested and clean spilled food sources.

They usually transport themselves on rodents and other mammals, and infest household pets and wild animals. Fleas use their legs to jump 8 inches vertically and 16 inches horizontally. Although they try to remain on their warm-blooded host at all times, they can be found on shoes, pant legs, and blankets.

Fleas are the most common transmitter of the rare bubonic plaque and can transfer the bacterial disease murine typhus to humans through infected rats. They can cause Flea Allergy Dermatitis in pets, and similar results from debris has been reported in humans. Tapeworms can be transmitted through fleas, causing anemia. A flea bite usually results in painful, red, itchy bumps.

To prevent fleas, clean and vacuum frequently to help remove flea populations and prevent the laying of eggs. Keep your lawn groomed to prevent rodents, and protect pets by keeping them on a leash while outside, clean and groom pets regularly, visit a vet annually, and treat your pet use flea treatments as directed.

If fleas are a problem, Pestworks can come and treat your home. Below are some tips to help with fleas before we visit your home or business:

Vacuum furniture, crevices, carpets, and rugs thoroughly. Remove bag from vacuum cleaner and place in a plastic bag, seal, and remove from the house.

Take your pet or pets to the vet on the day of treatment. Make sure you begin or continue the growth regulator (program for fleas) for each pet.

Wash or replace pet bedding. This is a primary breeding ground for eggs that drop off the host (pet). It is very important to keep the bedding clean.

On the day of treatment, you will need to be out of the house until it is completely dry. Please allow a minimum of three hours.

Fleas will continue to hatch for the next 3-5 weeks, but the growth regulator will sterilize the next group of eggs laid, resulting in sterile, dying offspring.

Vacuum frequently over the next 3-5 weeks to pick up eggs and stimulate hatching. The residual applied to the carpet and other areas will eliminate emerging adult fleas.

You may still be bit by fleas during this period, but emerging adult fleas will generally only live a few hours after coming through the residual treatment.

Carpenter ants (pictured above, left) are approximately 5/9″ long and are commonly red, black, or a combination of red and black. They like to live near wood, such as tree stumps, landscaping, or firewood. they usually gain entrance through wet, damaged wood or small holes and crevices of a building.

Carpenter ants get their name because they build tunnels and holes in wood to build their nests. They attack wood that has been wet or damaged by mold. They then build tunnels through undamaged wood. They usually come into buildings through cracks around door openings, windows or holes for wires. The ants will crawl on bushes or wires to travel to the top of a building to enter. When they come in, the pose a property threat.

To prevent Carpenter Ants, remove water sources or standing water. Cut back branches and trees away from the house. Make sure there are no cracks or holes around the bottom of the house, and make sure that firewood is not stored next to the house.

Red Imported Fire Ant

Red Imported Fire Ants (pictured top, middle) are approximately 1/8 to 3/8 inches long and are a dark reddish brown. They live in mounds on the ground, but can infest garages. They often build their nests near landscaping or near a structural foundation and gain access to a building through cracks and crevices.

Red Imported Fire Ants will sting humans who come across their nest. The sting is painful and often results in a red welt that becomes a white pestule. Often there are multiple stings from several ants and those allergic to the sting of a red imported fire ant will could have a more severe reaction.

The best way to prevent a problem with the red imported fire ant is to avoid their mound nests. To prevent entry to a building, seal all holes and cracks.

Pavement Ant

They get their name because they build their nests in the cracks of a pavement.

Pavement Ants will eat most anything, including insects, seeds, honeydew, honey, bread, meats, nuts, and cheese. They do not present a public health risk, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided.

To prevent infestation of pavement ants, eliminate water sources outside, including standing water. Cut back trees and bushes away from the house, as they gain entrance through cracks and holes in the building and will infest a structure. Store firewood and stacks of wood away from the house.

Need to pay your bill? Pestworks accepts cash, checks, and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, and Discover). We are currently working on an online option to pay by credit card. For quarterly customers, an option to set up automatic payment will be available. Check back here for updates to this service. Until then, you may call the office for credit card processing or mail your check to us at 4318 Sunbelt Drive, Addison, Texas 75001.

Email Statements

Would you like to receive your invoice by email? This saves paper, postage, and your time. Email the office at bugus@pestworks.com and we will be happy to accommodate your request!

Newsletter

Pestworks will be sending out on a periodic newsletter outlining important information to control the termite and pest control issues in your home or business. If you would like to be a part of that list, simply click here: bugus@pestworks.com to send us an email. Include the word “newsletter” in the subject line.

Request for Appointment

Ready to have your home or business treated? Is it time for your quarterly appointment? To request a visit from a technician to your home or business, please click here: bugus@pestworks.com to send an email. Include the words “request an appointment” in the subject line. Our office will confirm your appointment before we come to your location. In your email, please include a day (Monday – Saturday) and a general time of day (morning, afternoon) you will be available. Although we can’t promise to accommodate every request, we will work to arrange a time as close to your request as possible.

Our appointment hours are Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. – 12 noon.

Refer a Friend

If you know someone who is in need of service to their home or business for termites or pest control, refer them to Pestworks by sending an email to our office at bugus@pestworks.com. Include the words “referral” in the subject line. If you pass along our phone number to a friend, ask them to give us your name. We appreciate your referrals!

A: In most cases, you won’t need a lot of preparation before we come. Usually, just making sure the kid or animal toys are picked up from the treatment area is all that is necessary. Sometimes preparation is a little more extensive for the first appointment. We will let you know before we come if anything will be needed.

Q: Will my house have wet baseboards and an odor after you come?

A: No. Pest control treatment has changed from the old, spray everything down format. In most cases, the products we use are odorless.

Q: I have pets. Should I take them away from the house?

A: Not in most cases. The products we use don’t normally affect common household pets. We do recommend, however, that you keep them away from the treated areas until the product is dry.

Q: I don’t have termites now. How should I make sure I don’t get them later?

A: Pestworks offers preventive services for termites. Check out our Services page or contact the office: 972-620-3232 or bugus@pestworks.com.

Q: What are my payment options?

A: Payment is accepted in the form of cash, check, or credit card. We accept the following credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. In the future, online billing and payment will be accepted. Check out our Customer Care Center for more information.

Q: Should I wait until I see bugs to have you treat the house?

A: It is always easier and good practice to be proactive rather than reactive when dealing with termite and pest control. Waiting until you see them may be too late to handle the issue in a quick, easy manner. Just because you can’t see bugs doesn’t mean they are not there. Quarterly pest control and annual termite inspections are a great way to make sure you don’t see them – or at least “live” ones!

Q: Do I have to be present for you to come and service my location?

A: No. After the initial appointment, it is not usually necessary for you to be home, as we will treat primarily the perimeter of your home. In some circumstances, we will need to treat inside again, but it is rare and we will make you aware when making your appointment.

Q: Are the pesticides you use safe?

A: We use only the best pest control products on the market. However, pesticides can be dangrous when used improperly. Our technicians are trained in the proper techniques to treat your home or business.

Q: I never see bugs in the wintertime. Should I stop having my business or home treated?

A: No. Many times customers believe that bugs go away in the winter, but in all actuality, they are still all around us. They are simply burrowing, hibernating, and laying eggs. Treatment during the winter months can be the most effective way to control pests in the other seasons of the year.