Ants
Odorous house, carpenter, pavement
If you’ve got a line to the sink or the sugar, that’s a nest talking — not a few lost scouts. You’re not messy. They’re organized.
- What to look for. Trails on counters, sawdust near wood, a sweet-rot smell when one is crushed.
- Why it matters. They contaminate food. Carpenter ants nest in damp wood and keep coming if the moisture stays.
- What we do. We bait the colony so they carry it home, then a light perimeter. Spraying the ones you see usually makes more.
- OSU Extension. OSU EPP-7312: ants come for sweets, starches, and grease. Find the trail, don’t just spray the scouts. Carpenter ants nest in wood that has stayed wet — they rarely do termite-level damage.
Termites
Subterranean — Oklahoma’s most destructive pest
They work inside the wood. Most families don’t know until swarmers hit a window or a door sticks. That’s not your fault.
- What to look for. Mud tubes on the foundation, discarded wings on sills, hollow-sounding wood, bubbling paint.
- Why it matters. They eat the house quietly. Oklahoma slab homes are high-risk. An inspection comes first.
- What we do. We look at the suspected area at no charge and give you a price. Treatment starts at $900. Premium includes a termite warranty for homes that qualify.
- OSU Extension. OSU: Reticulitermes in every Oklahoma county. Mud tubes ¼–½ inch; swarmers any month, most often spring. Straight antennae, thick waist, even-length wings — not ants. Workers eat the wood.
Cockroaches
German (kitchens) and American (water bugs)
German roaches live in the warm cracks of a kitchen — behind the fridge, under the sink. Seeing one at night usually means more. You’re not a bad housekeeper.
- What to look for. Pepper-like droppings, egg cases, a musty smell, movement when lights come on.
- Why it matters. They spread bacteria and can trigger asthma, especially in kids. Foggers scatter them into the walls.
- What we do. Gel bait where they hide, plus a non-repellent so the colony shares it. We break the breeding cycle — we don’t chase them room to room.
- OSU Extension. OSU: they need food, water, and a dark crack. Remove those three and bait — foggers scatter them.
Spiders
Brown recluse and black widow
Most house spiders are harmless. In Oklahoma, two are not. If you’re unsure, treat it as a reason to look — not a reason to panic.
- What to look for. Irregular webs, egg sacs, shed skins, sightings in closets, shoes, or wood piles.
- Why it matters. Recluse venom can damage tissue. Widow venom is neurotoxic. A suspected bite is a doctor first, then the house.
- What we do. We treat the dark hiding spots — baseboards, voids, the stack of boxes — not the whole living room like a fogger would.
- OSU Extension. OSU EPP-7301: only recluse and widow are considered dangerous in Oklahoma. Recluse: six eyes, violin mark. Widow: red hourglass. A bite is a physician first.
Scorpions
Striped bark scorpions
They hunt at night and tuck into shoes and bedding when it’s hot and dry. One indoors is reason enough to walk the foundation.
- What to look for. Night sightings, a sting in a shoe or bed. They glow under UV light.
- Why it matters. Stings hurt. They’re harder on children, pets, and anyone with allergies. Call a physician if someone is stung.
- What we do. Perimeter work, dusts in voids, and pulling rock and lumber off the slab. Shake out shoes until we come.
- OSU Extension. OSU: 1½–3½ inches, nocturnal, not considered dangerously venomous here — still call a physician for a child, pet, or allergic sting. They glow under UV.
Earwigs
European earwigs
The pincers look fierce. They’re not. After a rain they leave wet mulch and wander in. They do not crawl into ears.
- What to look for. Pincer-tailed insects in kitchens and baths, clusters under mats and planters.
- Why it matters. Mostly a nuisance — and a sign the soil against the house is too wet.
- What we do. Treat the drip line, pull mulch back from the slab, and dry the threshold. That’s usually the whole story.
- OSU Extension. They do not crawl into ears. Wet mulch against the house is the usual invitation.
Other pests
Mice, wasps, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas
If it isn’t on these cards, we still help with insects, spiders, mice, and wasps. Name what you saw, or say you’re not sure.
- What to look for. Scratching in walls, paper nests, dusk bites, ticks after yard work, fleas on pets.
- Why it matters. Different animals, different jobs. Wildlife needs a different kind of company than a pest visit.
- What we do. Insects, spiders, rodents in the house, and termites — that’s us. Rodent control starts at $250. For raccoons, skunks, bats, or birds, we’ll point you to someone who does.
- OSU Extension. OSU: dump standing water for mosquitoes; treat wasp nests at night; fleas live mostly in carpet and yard, not on the pet.
