The following are just a few of the occasional invaders that look for a new place to hide in your home. Don't let it happen to you! These pests can carry bacteria and disease and are a health hazard as well as being unsettling. Targeted treatments, including baits, traps, and sprays eliminate your problems, and improve your peace of mind. Let Arrest A Pest solve your pest problem today!

Small, hard-bodied wingless insects with a flattened body and legs adapted for jumping on to a host. Humans are often attacked when other food sources aren't available. Their bite leaves a red, itchy spot on the skin. Their saliva is irritating to the host, causing dermatitis and hair loss in allergic animals.

If you have fleas, you need to use the 3-zone defense: Inside Outside On the Pet

Control begins with treatment to all infested areas with a residual pesticide that includes a growth regulator inside the home and a complete lawn treatment outside. Generally, lawn treatments done early enough in the season are enough as long as control continues on the inside of the home. The pet should be treated regularly either with powders, sprays or a treatment recommended by your vet. While "dips" are effective for overall treatment at once, maintaining a constant control on the pet is best. Pick up all items off the floor. Remove items from under beds and furniture and the bottom of closets. Wash or replace pet bedding. Vacuum thoroughly throughout the house. Wood, tile and linoleum floors should be thoroughly swept and mopped. Concrete floors in a garage or basement, where pets may stay, need to be cleaned. Remove all pets including birds. Fish tanks should be covered with a damp towel and the air pump turned off and covered. Treat pets Shampoo, then use drops, dogs only. Remain out of the house for at least three hours. Outdoors, wash or remove any pet bedding and make all shade areas, crawl spaces, etc., available for treatment.

	Carpenter Ants - Usually nest outdoors in stumps and logs in contact with the soil and in dead tree limbs and cavities or in homes in wood damaged by termites, fungi and moisture. They don't actually eat wood - though the galleries they excavate can be quite extensive.
	Pharaoh - Small red to yellowish ants that can nest in wall voids, cabinets, boxes of food and any other accessible crevices and spaces and are even known to invade sick rooms and feed on blood plasma and wound dressings.
	Thief Ants - Tiny ants that sometimes go undetected for weeks. They earn their title by feeding off the larvae of other ant species. Commonly seen around the kitchen sink or pantry, they go for cheeses, greasy foods, meats and sometimes sweets.
	Argentine Ants - Among the many species who like honey, syrups and jellies, they are also meat eaters and outside they can severely damage orchard crops. MORE INFORMATION HERE.
	Red Imported Fire Ant - Usually a reddish brown color, fire ants live in colonies of up to 200,000 individuals with mounds that can be two feet high and three feet across with as many as 50 colonies per acre. It's painful, burning sting results in pustules that take up to 10 days to heal. Some people are extremely allergic to the sting, needing fast medical attention to deal with the toxin. It usually takes ants years just to get firmly established. But once that's accomplished, some colonies can survive for as long as 30 or 40 years. Sometimes the original queen will be replaced many times over.

There are measures you can take to minimize the likelihood of an ant invasion in the kitchen; wiping up spills and putting food away immediately in sealed containers helps. Keeping your home dry and well ventilated will discourage dreaded Carpenter Ants from entering. When ants do get in, insecticides applied along baseboards or around foundations can provide some temporary relief. But ants seldom carry enough insecticide back to the nest to kill the queen... so the nest must be located and the colony destroyed. The professionals at ARREST•A•PEST know where to look and how to fight with the best products available on the market.

Rats and mice are the most abundant and therefore the more annoying and destructive of all rodents the homeowner or business owner may encounter. Throughout history, they have been responsible for more human illnesses and deaths than any other mammals. The most common are the Norway Rat, the Roof Rat and the House Mouse.

• Norway Rats prefer the outdoors and burrow in the ground under foundations and in trash dumps. Inside they live between floors and walls and enclosed places out of sight.
• The Roof Rat is smaller than the Norway and seems to prefer above-ground dwellings, in attics, between walls or outdoors in trees and vines.
• The House Mouse, the smallest of the household rodents, is gray and has a long tail. They live in any convenient, protected space.

Controlling rodent infestations is mostly due to the common sense elimination of their food, water and harboring sources. Elimination of whatever possible that makes them happy is always the first step and should be addressed at the first signs of their presence. Beyond that, baiting and/or trapping would be next. Baiting is the first choice as it is effective in most cases and is the simplest solution. Trapping requires much maintenance and constant monitoring and of course, disposal of the trapped rodents.

Centipedes are sometimes called "hundred-leggers" because of their many pairs of legs. They are long elongate, flattened, and wormlike, usually yellowish to dark brown, sometimes with darker stripes or markings, with 15 to 177 pairs of legs - 1 pair per segment. Even though centipedes are predaceous and therefore beneficial, most people consider them a nuisance pest. Some species can inflict a painful bite, but it is not lethal. All centipedes have poison jaws with which they inject venom to kill their prey. If handled roughly, some of the larger species can break the human skin, resulting in a bite which causes some pain and swelling, something like a bee sting. However, the large Scolopendra can inflict a very painful bite and should be handled with great care. Centipedes are typically found in areas of high moisture such as loose bark, in rotting logs, under stones, trash, piles of leaves and grass clippings, flower-bed mulch, etc., where their typical prey is found. Although they may be found anywhere in a house, usual places are damp basements, bathrooms, damp closets, and potted plants. Eliminating moisture areas is the key method of prevention. Remove leaves, grass clippings, logs, stones and rocks from around foundation Provide adequate ventilation in crawl spaces De-humidify basements Vacuum living quarters frequently, especially around baseboards and cracks and crevices areas, behind kitchen appliances.

Millipedes are sometimes called "thousand-leggers," but they usually have 30-90+ pairs of legs, usually blackish or brownish but some red, orange, or with mottled patterns. Members of several millipede groups give off an ill-smelling, repugnant fluid through openings along the sides of the body. In some species, this fluid contains hydrocyanic acid, iodine, and quinone, which is toxic to some arthropods and small animals. It can cause vesicular dermatitis (small blisters) in humans. They are typically found in areas of high moisture and decaying vegetation such as under trash, piles of grass clippings, flower-bed mulches, leaf litter, etc. As with other occasional invaders, reduction of moisture areas inside and outside will help discourage millipedes from moving in. Mow the lawn closely and edge it to promote quicker drying Remove debris such as leaves, rotting vegetation, heavy mulch, wood, rocks from around foundation Store firewood up off the ground away from the house Ventilate crawl spaces and basements to reduce sheltered hiding places Water lawns early in the morning to allow the grass time to dry during the day Millipedes within the home can be easily vacuumed up and the vacuum bag discarded.

Black Widow Spider

• Glossy black with a red hourglass marking on the underside of its abdomen, it makes a strong, sticky irregular web in protected areas where prey is likely to wander in and be trapped. Foundations, vents, shrubs and woodpiles at ground level are common habitats.
• Their highly poisonous venom can cause concern for small children and older or infirm persons. Medical attention should be sought if bitten. Some trap their prey in webs or snares; others are active hunters that use excellent vision to stalk or ambush their food. Virtually all spiders have poison glands that connect with the fangs. Venom produced by the glands apparently is used to kill or paralyze prey and in defense. Only a few species, such as the black widow and the brown recluse, have venom that is very toxic or harmful to humans.

Brown Recluse Spider

• A brownish spider with distinguishing characteristics of the presence of three pairs of eyes arranged in a semicircle on the forepart of the head and a violin-shaped, dark marking immediately behind the semicircle of eyes with the neck of the violin pointing towards the bulbous abdomen. This violin-shaped marking has earned it the name "fiddle-backed" spider.
• It is found in undisturbed areas such as sheds, garages and dark closets. Garments left hanging for some time are favorite spots. The brown recluse spider is not aggressive and normally bites only when crushed, handled or disturbed.
• Their bite causes a severe systemic reaction and an ulcerous sore, which requires extensive medical attention. Fatalities are rare, but bites are most dangerous to children, elderly and those in poor physical condition.

Most species do not attempt to bite; many have fangs that are not capable of piercing the skin. However, some will, with results that are similar to a wasp or bee sting. There is the chance that a person can have an allergic reaction to the venom.

First Aid if bitten: remain calm, collect the spider, if possible, for positive identification and get medical attention immediately (contact your physician, hospital and/or Poison Information Center & apply antiseptic solution to prevent infection and ice packs to relieve local swelling and pain directly to the bite area.)

• Shake out clothing and shoes before dressing, and inspect bedding and towels before using.
• Do not go barefoot or handle firewood without gloves.
• Remove piles of trash; eliminate cluttered areas in basements, closets, attics and other outbuildings.
• Dust and vacuum thoroughly and more in normally undisturbed places.

Adult box elder bugs are about ½ inch long, dull black with red markings along the front edges of their wings.

They are predominantly attracted to the female Box elder tree, also called an Ash-leaved maple, Acer Negundo. Female box elder trees can be identified by their winged seed pods. The box elder tree is their food source and that explains the attraction to it.

During spring, box elder bug adults and nymphs can be seen emerging from hibernation sites, flying to a box elder tree or gathering on the sides of buildings. At this time the overall size of box elder bug infestations on trees and buildings can be considerable smaller (differing as much as tenfold) than box elder bug infestations in the fall. Female box elder bugs emerging from hibernation begin to lay eggs in April and May.

The temperature of surfaces found around buildings can contribute to infestations of adult box elder bugs in the spring and fall. Research data, obtained by measuring the body temperature of box elder bugs and the temperature of different surfaces, shows that box elder bugs prefer surfaces with temperatures that are much higher than a box elder bugs normal body temperatures.

Several cold nights followed by an Indian summer cause box elder bugs to begin congregating on homes as they search for where to spend the winter.

In the fall there is an increase in the number of box elder bugs on host trees, and this increase is associated with development of the ovules on female box elder and maple trees. There are much fewer box elder bugs around buildings in the fall; most are found on trees. Adult box elder bugs move to overwintering sites during October. Although the same overwintering sites are not usually used by box elder bugs every year, there are some that are frequented on a regular basis.

Box elder bugs travel short or long distances (as much as two miles) from a box elder tree to a favorable hibernation site. Box elder bugs spend the winter in leaf litter next to buildings, under bark in protected areas or in other spaces in which large numbers of box elder bugs can gather for a few months.

Normally October is the month in which box elder bugs become a pest. Box elder bugs begin to mass in large numbers on Box elder tree trunks to prepare to overwinter. From the tree the box elder bugs move to wood and rock piles, fallen leaves, and the cracks and crevices of buildings. They are especially attracted to the sunny side of light colored homes. Box elder bugs creep into siding, window and door frames, porches, and cracks in masonry. Box elder bugs do not bite, reproduce indoors, cause any structural damage, or cause health problems to humans or pets. Smashing box elder bugs can stain fabrics and wallpaper. Box elder bugs are merely a nuisance. Moderate daytime temperatures are confusing to box elder bugs; it is normal to have a recurrence of the box elder bugs in the middle of winter when it is mild. Box elder Bugs come out of hiding and become active because it is so warm during the day, it seems like spring to them. As long as it is mild box elder bugs will congregate on Box elder trees and light colored homes.

Amazingly, the average homeowner's insurance does not cover the threat of termites though termites strike more American structures than fire and cost Americans about 1.1 billion dollars a year! On the average, there could be as many as 13 to 14 subterranean termite colonies per acre, which means that a typical home may easily have three to four colonies (with as many as 1million per colony) situated under or around it. Since foundations are usually built above the water table, and below the frost line, near where termites live, your home is naturally close to termite colonies. Ironically, concrete slab and basement foundations are some of the most susceptible types of construction.

Termites only need a crack of one-sixty-fourth inch in a slab floor to gain entrance into your home and once there, they can infest virtually any part of your home -- wood trim, wallboard, siding, even picture frames. Once termites discover a food source, they leave a chemical trail for others to follow.

Worker termites bring food to the colony through tunnels without ever resting. Termites need moisture to survive (this fact makes areas like basements and crawl spaces very attractive to them and can serve as starting points for infestation.).

Termites Are Often Confused With Ants. Here is the basic difference: Termite Swarmers have a broad waist, their antennae are not elbowed and both wings are the same size with many veins. Ant Swarmers have a thin, pinched waist, their antennae are elbowed and the hind wings are smaller than the front wings.

Some of the common signs of a termite infestation include mud tunnels along the foundation of the house inside or out, wings or sawdust near windows, doors or in the garage, tiny holes on wood., flying or "swarming" termites in the house, especially near light sources.

Call Arrest A Pest and set up an appointment to have your house thoroughly inspected by one of our pest control professionals who are trained to detect the sometimes-subtle signs of termites.

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Powder post beetles are so called because in high numbers they are able to turn the inside of a piece of wood into nothing more than a mass of powder. They can do significant damage to log homes, furniture, wood floors and structural timbers. Powder post beetles are small(1/8 inch) and the adult beetles are seldom seen. Most of the life cycle is spent in the grub stage eating wood. This stage can last between 1-10 years depending upon a number of factors including; species of beetle, type of wood infested, age of wood, moisture content of wood and air temperature. People do not realize that the wood is infested until the adult beetles emerge from within the wood. The exit holes are very small, about the size of a pin head. When the wood is tapped with a hammer dust will fall from these exit holes. Depending on the species powder post beetles can infest hardwoods such as cherry and oak, or softwoods such as poplar, pine and bamboo. If you find a beetle infestation in a piece of oak furniture this same species of beetle would not infest your pine floor but might infest other pieces of your oak furniture.