Common Pests Found in Central Texas

     Scorpions are a common pests found here in our beautiful Central Texas and surrounding area. The Striped Bark Scorpion is the species you are most likely to find, in Central Texas, and is the only species found throughout the entire state.  There are around 1,500 different species of scorpions in the world and 20 to 25 are considered dangerous. The Striped Bark Scorpion did not make that list, however, some people do exhibit sever allergic reactions to the sting. Caution is always advised. 

     Typically, you will find these inside your home during hotter months as they try to avoid the heat outdoors. To help prevent this you can clear debris and leaf clutter from around the home. Also keeping the grass cut short and sealing cracks and crevices help as well. Sadly, most “natural” remedies are not very effective in controlling scorpions. While diatomaceous earth is often quoted as a good natural control method, it is rendered ineffective once it has absorbed even small amounts of moisture. It kills critters by desiccation. The sharp edges of the grains cut the exoskeleton causing the bug to not be able to retain moisture dehydrating, as a result. Moisture will cause the diatomaceous earth to loose its sharpness, thus rendering it useless for desiccation purposes. 

     Scorpions can be very hard to control. It is best to consider a pest management professional when wanting to control scorpions.  

      Black Widow Spiders are found all over the warmer areas of the United States. Females have the characteristic red or yellowish double triangle that forms a shape much like an hour glass, on the underside of her abdomen. She will also be a shiny black in color. The female could be as large as a half inch in diameter if she is full of eggs. Males are much smaller and may appear brown or gray in color with light streaks on their abdomens. It can be easy to mistake the male for a different spider species. One key indicator is that if a small spider is observed on the same web as a Black Widow, and she is not killing it, then it is most likely a male.  

     A Black Widow’s web is a tangled mass of webbing that usually has a dense area that she can retreat to when hiding or awaiting pray to become stuck. You will find them under boards, stones, along the foundation line of homes with stucco or siding and sometimes on the eves or upper porch corners. Around the yard you can find them in rock piles, old lumber piles, bushes, sheds, and other structures or debris piles. Preferring the heat, it is rare that a Black Widow will come inside and if she does find her way into a climate controlled environment, she will almost certainly be attempting to find her way back out.  

     Her bite could feel like a needle puncture and she will inject a neurotoxin. The affects of the venom can vary based on many factors including a persons size and the bite location. A person suffering from a bite may have only a red mark or small bump or they may suffer convulsions followed by death, depending on the sensitivity of the bite victim.  Anti-venom should be readily available at your local hospital. It is advised to always seek medical attention if it is believed that a person has been bitten by a Black Widow. Their life may depend on it.  

     Although her bite can be deadly for some, she does not seek to bite and will only do so if she feels threatened in some way. Be careful and leave them alone, if you can, and don’t hesitate to contact a professional for advice. Noble Knight Pest Solutions will be happy to give a free consultation.

     The Brown Recluse is a soft bodied spider that likes to stay hidden, common in the Southern, Western, and Midwestern United States. An adult will range in size from a third to a half inch, with legs that create an overall size of about an inch. It is yellow or brown in color, and has a signature violin shaped mark on the top of the cepholothorax.   

Typically, the Brown Recluse can be found indoors in secluded areas like basements, bathrooms, closets, garages and bedrooms. They may also be found in attic areas, around duct-work and in out-buildings, particularly if cluttered or used as a long term storage.  

     Being a non-aggressive spider, most of the time a person will only get bitten when the spider is crushed. This can occur when a person is putting on clothing that has been stored, or when they are asleep, and roll onto the Brown Recluse.  

     Initially the pain is not very intense and will be less troubling than a honey bee sting. Over time, around twelve hours, the pain can become quite powerful, and after a few days a large ulcerous sore will form. The sore will heal very slowly and can leave nasty disfigurement and scaring. While this only manifests in nine percent of bite victims it is important to do everything possible to keep the Brown Recluse Spider out of the home and outbuildings.

     Noble Knight Pest Solutions has the experience and education necessary to keep your home Brown Recluse free.  

     The Red-Headed Texas Centipede is what typically comes to mind when discussing centipedes. These are different than the House Centipede. While their habitat is not indoors, they can occasional make their way into any room of the home. Usually, they live outdoors, in and around bark, mulch, lumber piles, and outdoor plantings.  

     Centipedes are usually a brownish to black color, with a red head and a flattened body shape that has many body segments. They have one pair of legs per body segment. This differs from millipedes that have two pairs of legs per body segment and have a body shape more round than flattened. Centipedes typically grow to around five or six inches but can reach lengths of up to eight inches. In captivity they have been known to grow even longer than eight inches. 

     Centipedes are considered a beneficial species because they feed on prey like spiders, insects and other harmful critters. They don’t damage stored foods or household furnishings. Most people still consider them a nuisance, especially when they wander indoors.

     While smaller species of centipede are not large enough for the legs to penetrate human skin, sometimes a bigger centipede may bite or pinch if provoked.  The term “bite” is a bit of a misnomer because they pinch with their front legs. Those legs are designed to look and function like jaws and the venom glands are located there.   

     Typically, the bite from a centipede is not that serious. However, we always recommend contacting your doctor in the event that the skin is broken.   

     Chronic problems with centipedes should be addressed by reducing the conducive conditions around the home. This would include removing trash, rocks, boards, leaves, poorly maintained flower beds, and other things that would create hiding places for them. Exclusionary methods such as caulking can help to prevent centipedes from entering the home.  

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