Central Pest Control: Comprehensive Pest Guide
Check our categories below to view a list of common pests.
Ants
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae that belong to the order Hymenoptera. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist.
Biting Insects
Many species of insects regularly or occasionally bite or sting human beings. Insect saliva contains anticoagulants and enzymes that cause local irritation and allergic reactions. Insect venom can be delivered by their stingers, which often are modified ovipositors, or by their mouthparts.
Fabric Pests
A number of insects can live and thrive in fabrics. Some of the most common are bed bugs.
Flies
Flies are insects of the order Diptera (di = two, and ptera = wings). They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax.
Occasional Invaders
Occasional invaders are insects and other arthropods that sporadically enter structures, sometimes in large numbers.
Pantry Pest
These insects can be brought into homes in packaged foods, although they may enter from outside sources or from adjacent apartments.
Roaches
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria. There are about 4,500 species of cockroach, of which 30 species are associated with human habitations, and about four species are well-known pests.
Rodents
Rodentia is an order of mammals, also known as rodents, characterized by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. Forty percent of mammal species are rodents, and they are found in vast numbers on all continents other than Antarctica.
Spiders
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms.
Stinging Pests
The pests of the order Hymenoptera are stinging insects. Although they are sometimes a danger to humans, yellow jackets, hornets, and wasps also serve our interests because they feed their young largely on flies and caterpillars.
Wood Destroying
Wood destroying insects and organisms are a concern in any home with a wooden structure or components. Failure to properly identify and deal with the presence of wood-destroying insects and organisms can lead to damage to the structure and other wooden components of the house and create the need for expensive repairs.
Ticks and Mites
Tick is the common name for the small arachnids in the superfamily Ixodoidea that, along with other mites, constitute the Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites (external parasites), living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles and amphibians.