What’s in Your Home? A Guide to Common House Pests in Oceanside & San Diego County, CA

How many varieties of insect can you name off the top of your head? Are you an amateur entomologist, or are all ants, spiders, and cockroaches essentially the same to you? No matter your knowledge level, it never hurts to study up once in a while—especially when common house pests are beginning to infest your home. Here at Major League Pest, we understand that knowledge is power and want to help you understand what you’re up against in order to better prevent pest problems from happening again. Read on to learn more about the various types of pests we control from our backyard in Oceanside throughout San Diego County, California.

Ants

Ants are the most populous insect in the United States. While they don’t all pose a direct threat to people, they can significantly affect your life in other ways. We most often treat for:

Argentine Ants

Argentine ants range from light to dark brown and measure less than one sixteenth of an inch long. They are readily adaptable and can nest in a great variety of places. Nests are usually located in moist soil, next to or under buildings, along sidewalks, or beneath boards. Argentine ants are omnivorous, meaning that they can eat almost anything, but they prefer sweet foods.

Odorous House Ants

Odorous house ants are brown or black in color and measure between one sixteenth and one eighth of an inch. Usually, their nests are found under wood, debris, and landscaping, and they are known to move their colonies approximately every three months. They are attracted to moisture sources inside the home. If any landscaping is in contact with the home, this makes easy access for the ants to invade.

Pavement Ants

Pavement ants are about one eighth of an inch in length and range from light brown to black in color. They are often found nesting in the walls of buildings, under pavement stones, and in cracks in the foundation. They forage in trails up to 30 feet from their nest and will enter indoor structures for food.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are notorious for being easy to attract and hard—but not impossible—to get rid of. Types of roaches we control include:

German Cockroach

German cockroaches are the most common household cockroach. They are yellowish brown in color and have two dark strips on the head that run from front to back. They are typically between one half to three quarters of an inch long. They are abundant in places where there is food and water, such as kitchens and bathrooms. These insects are usually brought into a structure by grocery bags or boxes, and they breed quickly.

Oriental Cockroach

The Oriental cockroach looks dark brown to black with a greasy sheen and is about one inch in length. They prefer dark, damp, cooler areas such as the spaces underneath sinks and washing machines, the spaces between soil and buildings, underneath stoops, and landscape mulch. This species is of much more concern because they often travel through sewer pipes and live in filth, which they’ll track throughout your home.

Spiders

All spiders have venom, but most of them cannot penetrate human skin with their bite. However, some spiders deliver poisonous bites and cause allergic reactions that require medical care. When you encounter a spider in your home, keep your distance until you or a professional have confidentially determined the species. Types of spiders we control include:

Black Widow

Black widows are a shiny black color and commonly identified by the red hourglass marking on the underside of their abdomens. Females are larger than males and can measure up to one and a half inches in body length. They typically favor dark, secluded areas such as crevices, garages, sheds, and wood piles. Their egg sac is rounded and smooth and can be a white or tan color. Their venom is poisonous and their bites should be treated by medical professionals as quickly as possible.

Brown Widow

Brown widows are a lighter variety of the black widow. They are the same size, measuring one and a half inches in length, but are a brown color and have an orange hourglass on the underside of their abdomen. They are less aggressive than the black widow and will typically only bite if they are poked or pried at. They are most comfortable around the underside of roof eaves, patio furniture, and swing sets. Their egg sacs are a creamy color and are round with pointed projections, making them fluffy or spiky in appearance. Their venom is poisonous and bites require immediate medical care.

Stinging Insects

Stinging insects may not always be as dangerous as the aforementioned widow spiders, but they can still be a nuisance—especially for allergy sufferers. Major League Pest can treat for stinging insects such as:

Bees

Honeybees are commonly found among flowers and in gardens. They grow to be about half an inch in length and are golden yellow with dark brown stripes. These bees are the only type of bee known to have colonies that last longer than a decade. Each hive can have hundreds or even thousands of bees. After a colony has been eliminated in a building, it is best to remove the honeycombs from the wall because the honey will rot and produce an odor that will attract unwanted insects. Always maintain a safe distance from bees because all colonies have Africanized honey bee influence in the hive.

Other Common House Pests

Major League Pest often encounters the following insects:

Crickets

Always seeking out dark, warm spaces, crickets are nocturnal omnivores that typically eat plants, fibers, fruit, and vegetables, but have also been known to eat dead insects. They are quick to multiply and will often swarm around light sources at night. They will hide in woodpiles, near furnaces, in kitchens and fireplaces, within mulch, compost heaps, and rotted vegetation, and within garages or storage sheds.

Earwigs

Earwigs are dark, reddish-brown in color with light brown legs. These insects prefer cool, undisturbed wet areas and feed at night. They prefer to live under organic matter such as mulch, pine straw, leaf litter, and spaces underneath sidewalks, stones, and pavers. When threatened, they will defend themselves with their pinchers and a foul-smelling liquid. Earwigs will cluster together in large numbers after releasing pheromones, and if left untreated, they can ravage a garden.

Fleas

Most people will associate fleas with house pets and other furry animals on their property, but that’s not the only way they can invade a home. In fact, you could pick up fleas by simply walking through an infested area. They are small, reddish-brown in color, and can lay eggs that remain dormant for around a year before hatching. Because their eggs and pupa cannot be killed by chemical treatments, treating a flea infestation is a task best left to a professional.

Silverfish

Silverfish are white, brown-grey, or bluish-silver in color. They are teardrop-shaped insects that measure between a half-inch to three quarters of an inch long. Capable of thriving in most climates, they commonly infest dark, damp areas around paper and linen sources such as basements, attics, kitchens, and bathrooms. They are nocturnal and feed at night. Silverfish eat carbohydrates, particularly sugars and starches. Cellulose, shampoos, glue in books, linen, silk, and dead insects may also be food sources. Silverfish are known for their destructive feeding habits, oftentimes ruining papers, clothing, and wallpaper.

Snails

Snails move incredibly slowly, covering approximately half an inch of ground per second. They can survive in warm and cold climates and are most commonly found in gardens or planters. Usually, they are most active at night or early in the morning. They mostly feed on plants, but will eat other insects to be sure they have enough protein to keep their shells hard, since it is essential to their survival.

Treat Your Pest Problem

Dealing with any of the aforementioned common house pests? Contact Major League Pest today to get rid of them for good with our various pest control services.