Properly Identify the Critter That’s Bugging You With Smash Pest Control’s Pest Guide

• Termites: Termites are wood-destroying insects that feed on cellulose, causing damage to wooden structures and leading to potential structural issues in buildings.
• Bed Bugs: Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed on human blood during sleep, causing itchy red welts – and often infesting bedding and furniture.
• Spiders: Spiders are arachnids (8-legged crawlies) that play a crucial role in controlling insect populations…but some species may pose a threat to humans through venomous bites.
• Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are flying insects known for transmitting diseases through their bites, posing a health risk to humans and animals.
• Cockroaches: Cockroaches are resilient pests that thrive in unsanitary conditions, capable of spreading diseases and even triggering allergic reactions in some individuals.
• Ants: Ants are social insects that can form colonies in and around structures, often foraging for food and, in some cases, causing property damage.
• Mice: Mice are small rodents that can infest homes, contaminate food, spread diseases, and cause damage by gnawing on furniture and wiring.
• Rats: Rats, larger rodents than mice, are known for their ability to transmit diseases, contaminate food, and cause structural damage by gnawing.
• Fleas: Fleas are blood-feeding parasites that infest mammals, including pets and humans, causing discomfort and transmitting diseases.
• Ticks: Ticks are arachnids that feed on the blood of hosts, potentially transmitting diseases, such as Lyme disease, and posing a threat to human and animal health.
• Occasional Invaders: Some bugs – like ladybugs, beetles, hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, centipedes, etc. – don’t often make an appearance…but when they do, we can take them on!

Still Not Sure Which Pest Is In Your Home?

We don’t expect our clients to become pest aficionados overnight. It takes years for zoologists and entomologists to get to that level of expertise. The differences between some bugs can be subtle, which makes them hard to identify with complete confidence. Bed bug or bat bug? Brown recluse or wolf spider? Termite or flying ant? It’s easy to get confused. When in doubt, you can trust us to get to the bottom of it.

Take a few photos if you can and show them to one of our technicians when they come out for an inspection – it can expedite the diagnosis. With that said, some pests, like wasps and brown recluses, are dangerous and you should keep a safe distance at all times. Your safety is always our primary focus.

Keep in mind that a sighting isn’t the only way to pinpoint a pest. Brown recluse spiders are hunters and don’t use their webs to catch their food, so they’re not constructed as well as other spider webs. On a similar note, we can tell what type of rodent might be wreaking havoc in your attic by the size of their droppings and bite markings.