Occasional Pest Invaders
Box Elder Bugs
Appearance
½” with a long oval body shape. Black, with reddish orange markings, two wings, two antennae and six legs.
Habitat
Box elder bug is mainly found on box elder trees and maple trees.
How do they affect you?
These bugs are a nuisance. They are not known to any damage, except leave small red stained fecal matter on structures.
What can we do?
It is necessary to control these pests to prevent them from over wintering. Our exterior service will prevent these bugs from inhibiting your property. Box Elder Bugs are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Lady Bugs
Appearance
1/32” to 3/8” usually red with black dots. Two small antennae. Round shaped body.
Habitat
Ladybugs are an outdoor pest. They are over wintering pests, and will windup in structures.
How do they affect you?
Since they are an over wintering insect, they will use your home to stay, which can be a nuisance.
What can we do?
It is necessary to control these pests to prevent them from over wintering. Our exterior service will prevent these bugs from inhibiting your property. Lady Bugs are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Cluster Flies
Appearance
3/8” six legs, dark grey, short golden hairs, two wings.
Habitat
Cluster flies are an over wintering pest. They will ensure your home in the later summer, and fall months. This is when they are a nuisance. They are commonly found around windows and door frames.
How do they affect you?
Cluster flies will find their way into your home to over winter. This can become a huge annoyance to homeowners.
What can we do?
It is necessary to control these pests to prevent them from over wintering. Our exterior service will prevent these bugs from inhibiting your property. Cluster Flies are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Fruit Flies
Appearance
1/8” they look tan, brownish yellow their eyes are bright red. Six legs with two wings.
Habitat
Finding decaying fruits is their objective. Fruit flies have very short life periods. They are common in areas where sanitation is not practiced.
How do they affect you?
Fruit flies are a nuisance, and when activity is seen, there is food nearby.
What can we do?
Ensure that you practice good sanitation. Take out the garbage on a regular basis and do not lave any type of food out. Make sure to put all food in sealed containers. Fruit flies are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
House Flies
Appearance
1/8” to ¼" dark in color with a reddish tint. Six legs, two wings.
Habitat
The house fly gets its name because of their primary infestation spot, homes. House flies are attracted to many human foods. They are a nuisance pest that is also known to carry many different pathogenic organisms.
How do they affect you?
The flies are there because of poor sanitation. House flies also are an occasional invader because it’s simply impossible to prevent all interaction with them.
What can we do?
We stress that you take out your garbage often, and your garbage receptacles are located as far as possible from any entrance ways to your home. House flies are a pest that is covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Cicada Killers
Appearance
1-1” 5/8” black with yellow markings. Two wings. Cicada killers are often mistaken for yellow jackets. Cicadas are much larger and faster then yellow jackets.
Habitat
The like to nest in the ground. When activity is noticed holes will appear in the ground with small soil mound outside them.
How do they affect you?
Cicada kills are very intimidating. When an infestation is found there will be hundreds of them. It’s rare that a female cicada killer will sting.
What can we do?
Cicada killers are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan . You can also eliminate all bare-spots on your yard to prevent them from returning in the future.
Sow Bugs
Appearance
5/8” gray to dark gray. They appear in the shape of a capsule or oval. Two antennae, their body flattened top to bottom. When disturbed they will contracted into a ball shape.
Habitat
They are moisture driven pests, hiding under rocks, slates and other objects during the day. If activity is found in a home, there is a large population nearby.
How do they affect you?
They are mainly a nuisance pest, but sometimes they feed off plant material.
What can we do?
Sow bugs are a moisture driven pest. If you remove any possible moist harborages around your home like rocks, grass clippings and woodpiles the problem should cease. Sowbugs are a pest covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Centipedes
Appearance
1/8” to 6” they have a very large appearance become the amount of legs they have (hence their name). Yellowish brown in color.
Habitat
Centipedes are a moisture driven pest, calling home to moist logs, bark and woodchips. When they enter a home they are commonly found in basements, crawl spaces, bathrooms and plants. They are usually only active at night.
How do they affect you?
They are a nuisance pest as they come off at first glance like a large spider. If you try and handle a centipede they can bite and pierce the skin, though it is not common. The bite is comparable to a yellow jacket sting.
What can we do?
We recommend trying and find the source of the moisture. If you can eliminate the water source the pests cannot live. If this is not possible we recommend an inspection by Seitz Brothers Basement and Crawl Space Waterproofing. Centipedes are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Millipedes
Appearance
1/16” to 4” usually black or brown. Wormlike appearance, 30-90 legs. Band-like ridges on the body.
Habitat
Outdoors, in high moisture areas, wood and leaf piles and in grass clipping piles.
How do they affect you?
They are a nuisance pest, however because of their size they can be intimidating.
What can we do?
We stress to keep all decaying organic matter away from the home. Keeping your grass mowed and water your lawn in the morning to allow fast drying of the grass to prevent moisture during the evening hours. Millipedes are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Silverfish
Appearance
½” to ¾”, wingless, appears silvery metallic. Their body has an overall cone shape. Two antennae, six legs.
Habitat
Silverfish is a moisture driven, nocturnal pest. They are commonly found anywhere in a home or office building. They travel to find a food source; artificial silk, linen, rayon and cotton.
How do they affect you?
Silverfish is a nuisance pest. They ten to leave behind small yellowish stains.
What can we do?
Preventing moisture where they are found is essential. We recommend an inspection by Seitz Brothers Basement and Crawl Space Waterproofing. These nuisance pests are covered under out Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
House Crickets
Appearance
½” to 1” yellow brown, two antennae. They also have two wings.
Habitat
Crickets will enter a home, when they are able to survive. Summer months they spend outdoors, and when cold weather moves in, the crickets are commonly seen in homes.. They are attracted to light outside, and will enter homes if moisture is known to be there.
How do they affect you?
They feed off fibers, and if a heavy infestation, carpet damage.
What can we do?
We stress to eliminate any moisture problem in and around your home. Keep your lawn mowed, and flowerbeds around your foundation weeded. We recommend an inspection by Seitz Brothers Basement and Crawl Space Waterproofing. Crickets are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Ground Beetles
Appearance
1/16” to 1” 3/16” black, shiny skin, with six legs and two antennae.
Habitat
Mainly outside, on stones. These beetles will enter a structure at night, since they are attracted to light. When crushed they give off an unpleasant smell.
How do they affect you?
They are a nuisance pest. These pests are not known to do any type of harm.
What can we do?
We stress that you eliminate harboring areas (rocks and logs) close to the foundation to the home. Ground beetles are a pest covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Springtails
Appearance
1/32” to 1/8” whitish gray with two antennae. Looks like it is hunched over. Black hairs are common of the top of the pest.
Habitat
Springtails are a moisture driven pest. They will enter around piping, and cracks in doors, and they are attracted to light. They will feed on dead plants and fungi.
How do they affect you?
Springtails are a nuisance pest, and does not cause any type of damage.
What can we do?
Since they are moisture driven, We stress that you must eliminate the moisture issue that they are attracted to. We recommend an inspection by Seitz Brothers Basement and Crawl Space Waterproofing. Springtails are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Earwigs
Appearance
¼” to 1” pale brown with light colored legs. There are six legs, two wings and two antennae. What makes this pest unique is the two rear forceps.
Habitat
Earwigs are nocturnal, only being active at night. This is a moisture driven pest, and most commonly found in bathrooms, crawlspaces, and around your homes foundation in moist areas.
How do they affect you?
Earwigs are a nuisance. If you handle an earwig it is possible that their two treat forceps will pinch you. This is not painful, as the forceps are used for defense from other pests.
What can we do?
We stress to eliminate the moisture problem. Ensure mulch and woodchips are not in direct contact with your foundation. We recommend to Encapsulate your crawlspace to reduce moisture levels. Contact our Seitz Brothers Basement and Crawl Space Waterproofing for more assistance with moisture problems.
As part of our pest control service, we have 3 PA locations
covering places like Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton at our Trexlertown
location in the Lehigh Valley; or Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Stroudsburg at
our Tannersville office in the Poconos; and Hazleton, Reading, and Lancaster
at our Tamaqua Headquarters in Eastern and Central PA. We also service other parts
of PA, New Jersey and New York. Call today to schedule an appointment and see
why you are calling the best pest control service in the region.
