Pest control FAQ

The winged ants are male and female reproductives. During certain times of the year (usually in the Spring) some ant species fly out from their original colony to start a new colony elsewhere. This process is often referred to as swarming.

While they can bite, it is the fire ant's stinger that causes the most pain. The stinger injects a toxin into the fire ant's victim. This venom is what causes pain and skin irritation.

No, carpenter ants do not eat wood. Unlike termites that do eat wood, carpenter ants are only interested in turning wood into a nest. They will hollow out galleries in pieces of wood. These hollow galleries are what cause structural damage to homes when carpenter ants try to make their home out of your home.

According to the NPMA Field Guide, there are over 700 species of ants in the United States! However, of these 700+, only 25 species commonly infest homes.

No, nuisance ants must be treated based on their species. This is why identifying the species is one of the most important steps to getting ants under control. A fire ant treatment will require different products to be used than carpenter ants. Carpenter ants will be treated different than Argentine ants. There is no "silver bullet" ant treatment that will get rid of all species.

Everyone has heard this before; "If you see one roach, you have hundreds more you don't see." While in some cases that may be true (especially dealing with German cockroaches), that is not always the case. A truer statement is that only a small percentage of the number of cockroaches in a house are actually seen. So, if you have only seen one cockroach all year, you probably don't have much going on. However, if you see cockroaches on a regular basis, you should probably get someone to come take a look at your home to make sure you don't have a bigger problem.

Is it possible for someone to get rid of German cockroaches without an exterminator? That's like asking "Is it possible for an untrained boxer to knock out Mike Tyson?" Of course it's possible; it's just not likely. Here at Black Pest, our technicians go through a long training process before ever going into a customer's home on their own. We also have weekly ongoing training as well. We are trained to know where German cockroaches hide and what products work for them. We can and will deliver the knockout blow to your issues.

Female German cockroaches produce about 30 - 40 eggs at a time in one egg case. They will produce 4 - 8 egg cases in their lifetime. This means each female German cockroach can produce an average of 210 offspring during their short lifetime of just 100 - 200 days. This is why German cockroaches usually produce 3 to 4 new generations of cockroaches each year.

Yes. Generally what people in the Carolinas refer to as Palmetto Bugs or Water Bugs are actually either an American cockroach or a Smokybrown cockroach.

This is a common statement people make; that paper, cardboard or wood will draw cockroaches. In reality though, it is not the paper, cardboard or wood that brings cockroaches. What happens is when cockroaches defecate, their droppings contain pheromones. Pheromones are what draw more cockroaches to an area. Surfaces made of wood tend to hold the pheromones better than other materials. So, it isn't the wood or paper drawing cockroaches; it's their droppings on the wood or paper that brings more cockroaches.

Yes, that is true. Mice only need an opening 1/4 inch (or 6mm) in diameter to enter a structure. That is the same diameter as a #2 pencil.

Yes, that is also true. However, they can fit through a hole 1/2 inch (12mm) or greater. This is roughly the size of a dime.

The average litter size for the House Mouse is 6 mice per litter. Each female mouse will have about 8 litters per year (about once every 40 -50 days) and will average 30 - 35 weaned offspring per year.

This is a common myth we hear all the time: "Can you use the poison that makes the rodents go outside, drink water and then die." While no one knows exactly how the story of this magic poison started, I can confirm that no such rodenticide exists or ever existed.

Yes, rats can chew through "soft concrete" like that used in cinder blocks. Rat teeth score a 5.5 on Mohr's scale of hardness. That is harder than titanium!

Yes. It is estimated that mosquitoes kill 750,000 to 1,000,000 people each year through the different diseases they spread.

No. Only the Aedes, Anopheles and Mansonia species of mosquito are capable of transmitting heartworm. All 3 species can be found in the US.

The best thing a homeowner can do to cut down on the number of mosquitoes in their yard is to try to eliminate as many breeding sites as possible. Most mosquitoes reproduce in or near water, so eliminating as many standing water sources as possible will help. Things like old tires, bird baths, clogged gutters, kid’s toys, water bowls, tarps, pool floats, cans, bottles, bottle caps and more can all be breeding sources for mosquitoes.

The answer to this question is no. Mosquito treatments are a reduction service, not an elimination service. With mosquitoes being flying insects that can come from miles away, there is no service that can completely eliminate all mosquitoes. However, most of our mosquito service customers say they see a significant difference in how many mosquitoes they see in their yards with Black Pest's mosquito services. Take back your yard today!

Believe it or not, but not all mosquitoes are out at the same time. Some species of mosquitoes are only out at night like the Culex mosquito. Some are out from dawn to dusk like the Aedes mosquitoes. Knowing when you are being bitten can help determine what kind of mosquito you are dealing with at your property.

No. Having a treatment performed on your home is an important step in preventing termites, however no treatment is bulletproof. This is why the most important aspect of the termite business is to maintain a termite agreement with a reputable company. Black Pest offers termite agreements that cover for the retreatment costs for termites as well as damage costs should termites damage your home. See if your home qualifies for our termite damage coverage today!

No. Drywood and Dampwood termites are not subterranean, but an aerial infesting termite. There is no preventative treatment for either of these termites. Fortunately, neither of these species have very large colonies and the damage they cause is typically much less than subterranean termites.

Formosan termites are found along the Gulf Coast from Houston, Texas to Florida and in the Charleston, SC area. As of right now, Formosan termites have not been found in the state of North Carolina. The reason Formosan termites are so bad is because they can have millions of termites in a colony versus a few hundred thousand termites in a typical "native" termite colony. On top of this, Formosan termites can also commonly have above ground carton nests that native termite colonies rarely produce.

The truth is that both work well. Some people prefer liquid termite treatments because that is the "old-school" way of stopping termites. Some people prefer baits because they are less intrusive and always active. Both treatments work no matter what anyone's opinion is. This is why Black Pest offers both treatments as options for our customers.

It is estimated that termites cost homeowners in the US more than $5 billion a year in damages and treatment costs.