Common Pests In The Maryland - DC Area
As with most regions in the country, ants and spiders are among the most common household pests in the Maryland and Washington D.C. areas. Below are some of the specific pests found in our neighborhoods by the Baltimore Pest Control team:
Wolf spiders are one of the most common types of spiders found in Maryland. Commonly found around the foundation of the homes or inside the basement level of the home. These appear to be brown and “hairy;” sometimes adults are confused with tarantulas.
Odorous house ants are the most common species of ants in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. They are found inside in kitchens and bathrooms and sometimes trail from doorways and windows. Nesting areas are often in mulch near the home but can be found under tarps, in leaf piles, or out in mulch around trees in the yard.
Cave or camel crickets appear to be a mix between a spider and a cricket. These pests have a scary appearance. They are found in cool, dark, high moisture areas, hence the name: “cave cricket.”
House centipedes are found inside often in basements and adjacent to the foundation of homes on the outside. They appear to have “hairy” or “spider-like” legs that you would see on a “daddy long-legs” spider.
Subterranean Termites eat the cellulose in the wood construction of homes. These pests can cause thousands of dollars of damage. The body shape of a termite is similar to that of an ant. They are a milky white color and found often in the mulch, under rocks, and in wood piles. Termites swarm in the spring months of the year to look for a new location to dwell. They also make mud tubes from foundation to the siding portion of the exterior of the home and will make mud tubes inside around the foundation.
Bed bugs are found in bedrooms and in living rooms in the couches. They are very difficult to find. They only have to eat once per year to survive. They bite their victims often on the arms during the night that leave bumps and become itchy. The bite is painless. They will leave fecal matter in clusters near nesting areas. Bed bugs can be found in the seams of the mattresses, under the carpet by the headboard of the bed, inside the bed frame, in dressers, in couches, and in small cracks and crevices in the affected areas.
Carpenter bees are large bees that are non-aggressive and drill through wood and make a 90 degree turn to lay an egg sack. They typically won’t drill through finished or painted wood. The holes are the size of a nickel and can be found on yard decks.
Cicada killer wasps are a type of wasp that come out in July or August and dig holes in the yard near sidewalks and driveways. These wasps are very large and are non-aggressive but are intimidating by their size. The female wasps dig these holes to lay egg sacks to over-winter for the next year. The wasps place the removed dirt in mounds next to the holes.
Mice are the same pesky nuisance in Maryland that they are anywhere else. There are a few varieties of mice in the area, including field mice and deer mice. Escaping from colder temperatures and to nest, mice often invade the home in the winter.
German roaches are the probably the worst pest that you could find in the kitchen and bathrooms. They like to get in the cupboards and drawers. German cockroaches will leave behind fecal matter that looks like pepper. They are a nocturnal pest that likes to be near warm appliances. A pair of roaches can produce thousands in one year.
Silverfish and firebrats are closely related and have slender bodies with a silvery or brown coloration.
Crickets in our region typically grow to adult size by the end of the summer.
Ticks in our area are typically found in high grass or weeds. Ticks will wedge themselves into the skin of a host to feed on its blood and can carry Lyme disease.
For more information on Pest Control in the Baltimore Maryland and Washington DC areas, please don't hesitate to contact us. |
