The Houston pest control professionals at Holder’s Pest Solutions would like to discuss a pest you don’t hear much about (but is very common): the roof rat. The rats in Texas that we encounter include the Norway rat, the Yellow-nosed cotton rat, the hispid cotton rat and the tawny-bellied cotton rat among others, but the roof rat is the most common in our service area.
What are tawny ants? Maybe you’ve heard of them but called by another name: Rasberry crazy ants. These ants are an exotic invasive ant species that was introduced into Texas in 2002. Since then, they’ve been a very big problem for home and business owners across the state. They were first identified in Houston but have spread throughout southeast Texas and into Mississippi, largely thanks to the help of people, who are unknowingly transporting them in their travels. The problem of tawny ants is getting worse, but there are a few things you can do to help limit them on your property.
Bats get a bad rep for their status as a pest inside of business facilities across Texas. Not only are they capable of causing damage to structures after roosting and leaving their urine and feces, but they can also transmit several pathogens. Bats in your Texas facility or any type of property where people congregate for that matter are a serious health hazard and should be taken care of right away.
American cockroaches are a problem in many Texas properties and they can cause serious stress for home and business owners. Also known as palmetto bugs or water bugs, they are approximately two inches in length and their large size makes a lot of people squirm! They are oval, normally shiny reddish brown in color with long and threadlike antennae and a pale brown figure eight shaped band on the back of their heads. You may have them in your home or business in the warmer months in humid areas that have access to food. The Houston pest control professionals at Holder’s Pest Solutions know the dangers that these bugs can pose, which is why we’ve come up with a few prevention tips for South Texas property owners to keep these large cockroaches at bay.
At some point or another you have probably seen an ant or two crawling around in your kitchen or maybe your bathroom. Ants in Texas are one of the most common springtime pest invaders because as the weather warms, their colonies become active again and that means thousands of hungry ants! While some ants in Houston are merely a nuisance, other types of ants pose a more serious threat. To help homeowners in our region better understand the types of ants they are likely to find, here is a guide to the most common ant species in the area.
All this talk about termites swarming in Texas made us wonder, do you know what swarming termites are? For someone who has not experienced a termite infestation in Texas or anywhere else for that matter, the words ‘swarmers’ and ‘termite swarms’ may be foreign. So to help clear things up so we are all on the same page, the Texas pest control team at Holder’s Pest Solutions would like to share some information on swarmers.
Just as our society is going green with reusable bags, hybrid cars and energy efficient appliances, the vast world of pest control is following suit. Or should we say, the vast world of pest control has been going green for quite some time now. The reason that we are so into the idea of green pest control is because it benefits both those receiving pest control services and the environment as a whole.
Signed into law on January 4, 2011, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is changing food safety laws. This means big changes for the entire food production industry including food processing and food manufacturing facilities. According to the FDA, “[The Food Safety Modernization Act] aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.” For food processing or food manufacturing facilities in Houston, it is important to be aware of the laws and regulations under the new FSMA and also how your commercial pest control plan is already helping.
With the beginning of a new year everyone is starting out strong in an effort to stick to those resolutions for a healthier lifestyle. Among the many popular resolutions are things like get to the gym more, eat healthier and save up for a vacation. But did you know that just as important as your own health is the health of your home?
Taking ants to a whole new level of nuisance is the erratic behavior of a species called rasberry crazy ants. Named after Texas exterminator, Tom Rasberry, these ants truly are crazy both in name and as a pest. While they may only be about 1/8 of an inch in size, there are many reasons why homeowners in Houston, as well as across Texas, do not want crazy ants problems and why they are doing everything they can to avoid an infestation of crazy ants.
