Mesa Common Pests

It may come as no surprise that the most common pest in Arizona is the Ant! This is the case throughout most of the United States. While most of the country gets a break during winter months, Arizona is the exception and because of our warm weather, the ant thrives year round. Below are some of the specific pests found in our neighborhoods by the Mesa Pest Control team:

Wolf Spiders are one of the most common types of spiders found in Arizona. Commonly found in river rock areas around landscaping and occasionally inside a garage or home. These appear to be brown and "hairy;" sometimes adults are confused with tarantulas. They are a very large spider. We have even found them walking around under water in your backyard swimming pool.

Odorous House Ants are one of the most common species of ant in the Valley. 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.

House and Field Crickets are the two most common types of crickets in the valley. The field cricket is dark brown or black in color and very large. Mostly found outside in and around shrubs and river rocks. The house cricket is smaller and grey in color. These crickets can invade walls in your home and it is very common to find them inside.

Bark Scorpion - The very word strikes fear in our hearts and for good reason! This can be a very dangerous pest for small children or the elderly. Prevalent throughout the valley the bark scorpion is a formidable pest and difficult to control. Found in and around homes, yards, river rocks, block walls, meter boxes and wood piles. Female scorpions will carry their live young on their backs until mature and then deposit them in different areas around the yard.

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.

Mice & Rats - Very common pest found almost everywhere in the valley. Both are unwanted visitors that can carry disease and cause structural damage to your home. Mice tend to invade garages while rats tend to climb trees and invade your attic. Both make entry into homes through open voids or holes they created themselves. If left unchecked these pests will breed out of control.

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 Ffirebrats are closely related and have slender bodies with a silvery or brown coloration.

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. If you have dogs you will want to check them regularly for this common pest.

Bees have unfortunately become a very big problem in the valley. Most of the colonies are Africanized bees and can be very dangerous. Swarms can occur throughout the year however most swarms occur during the spring. Bees can invade homes and trees in our yards. Do not attempt to take care of this problem on your own. Call the Mesa Pest Control Team. We are licensed professionals and have years of experience in dealing with this problem.

For more information on Pest Control in the Mesa area, please don't hesitate to contact us.