Los Angeles Pest Control

Most Common Pests in Los Angeles, CA

Terminix provides professional pest, termite and wildlife control services for homeowners in East LA, West LA, and all surrounding areas. There are many different pests and wildlife that are native to the Los Angeles area. Our team of local pest control professionals are proud to offer residential pest management to the LA community where we live. Whether you have an active infestation or want to prevent one from happening in the future, the experienced Terminix team at our Los Angeles branch has you covered.

Los Angeles is home to many species of insects, rodents, and wildlife. Learn more about the most common pests in your area by reading below.

Termites

Termites are a problem for countless homes across the country. Oklahoma City is no different. However, the most common species of termites in OKC is the Eastern subterranean termite. This species lives underground in large colonies with anywhere between 100,000 to 1 million termites per colony. That's a lot of termites, eating through soft or decaying wood.

Eastern subterranean termites build “mud tubes" to travel from their underground colonies (often in soil or mulch that makes contact with the foundation of a home) and expand upwards – into the wooden substructure of your home. If left unchecked, a subterranean termite infestation can cause serious damage to a home.

Cockroaches

The sight of a cockroach can be alarming. Even worse, these pests are known to carry disease-causing pathogens and can possibly trigger asthma attacks. Oklahoma City in particular, contends with three different species of cockroaches: American cockroaches, German cockroaches, and Oriental cockroaches.

It doesn't matter how clean your home is, often, these cockroaches will feed on crumbs and open containers of food or obtain moisture and water from leaky faucets. Oklahoma City's humid climate in the heart of Tornado Alley – and common styles of homes throughout the area that feature basements and crawlspaces as well as attics – provide ideal conditions for these invasive pests to thrive.

Mice

Mice and other wildlife may seek shelter indoors during some of the famously unpredictable weather Oklahoma City is known for. These pests can nest inside homes year-round, finding their way indoors through small foundation cracks, gaps in doorways and pipes, or squeezing their way into basements and crawlspaces.

Although you may not see a mouse in your home, you may find tell-tale evidence of their presence, including droppings that look like small dark brown or black grains of rice. Mice will also gnaw through boxes and bags of cereal, popcorn, and other pantry staples to seek out food.

Rats

Norway rats and roof rats are two of the most common species of rats in Oklahoma City. Like mice, these rodents may nest inside homes year-round, but can also seek shelter indoors to escape the area's unpredictable weather conditions. Norway rats will forage for food outside but bring it back to their nests. Roof rats, on the other hand, are experts at gnawing through housing materials to make their nests.

Bed Bugs

If you travel or enjoy yard sales, swap meets, or picking up second-hand finds, bed bugs may unwittingly become a part of your life. Bed bugs are tiny pests that make a blood meal out of any human (or four-legged household member) that sits still long enough for them to feed.

These small parasites are roughly the size of an appleseed and can hitch a ride into your home on luggage that's been sitting on the floor of a hotel room, or nesting in the crevices of any used furniture – such as a chest of drawers or upholstered chairs – you may bring home. Bed bugs can hide in a variety of tight spaces and emerge at night to feed on warm-blooded hosts.

You might not be aware that you have bed bugs in an OKC home until you see tell-tale signs. Some individuals may experience itchy, red welts on their skin or find small specks of blood on their bed sheets, indicating possible bed bug activity.

Silverfish

Silverfish are long, flat, grey pests that are most commonly found indoors in areas with humid conditions. Oklahoma City, with its hot, humid summers, provides an optimal climate for silverfish to thrive. Silverfish can slither through cracks in search of sustenance. Once inside your home, they can cause damage, feeding on a variety of items – ranging from smaller insects to paper products and even glue from book bindings.

Damp areas such as bathrooms, basements and crawl spaces are particularly hospitable to silverfish and give them the conditions they need to thrive. Once a silverfish infestation takes hold, these pests can be difficult to get rid of – all the more reason to enlist the aid of a pest control specialist.

House Ants

Ants can be a problem for homeowners throughout the Oklahoma City metro area. Ants can creep into your home through cracks in your pavement or foundation, seeking food and water.

Although the colony may begin outdoors, scout ants are sent off on reconnaissance missions to search for a source of food for the colony. They're drawn to leaky faucets and appliances as a source of water, but will adapt their diet to whatever food is available – ranging from crumbs to sweets to grease. The scout carries this information back to the colony and, before you know it, you have a parade of ants invading your home.

Clothes Moths

Clothes moths thrive in dark areas of your home – such as basements and closets. Roughly ½ an inch in size and light beige in color, clothes moths can be found in homes throughout the OKC area. These winged pests can make their way into your home on items you bring into the house that may contain moth eggs or larvae. Once hatched, they can cause damage to cherished items – like your favorite sweaters, wool jackets, carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture.

Spiders

Oklahoma City is home to a variety of different spiders, including wolf spiders and cellar spiders. Wolf spiders are larger than your average house spider and hunt for food – namely, smaller insects – at night. They live indoors and outdoors, making their home in landscaped areas or gaining entry to your home through cracks in walls and beneath doors.

Cellar spiders, on the other hand, favor dark, damp places like crawlspaces, basements, and cellars – all common features of homes throughout the area. They are pale white or cream in color and tend to “recycle" their webs – building on top of old webs once they're unusable. If you see a lot of cobwebs, that may be a clear indicator that cellar spiders have taken up residence in your home.

Centipedes

Centipedes and millipedes can be found in homes throughout Oklahoma City. These multi-legged household pests thrive in humid areas. You may typically find these insects in your basement, having made their way into your home through small foundational cracks. Their slender bodies allow them to slip through cracks with ease. Once inside, they will feed on other common household pests, and seek out damp areas like bathrooms or dark corners of your kitchen, such as beneath a sink or dishwasher.

House Crickets

House crickets are quite common throughout Oklahoma City, particularly during warmer months of the year. These jumping insects are typically drawn to dark, damp environments like basements and garages. House crickets are most active at night and their loud chirping can be annoying. They also are opportunistic eaters and will munch on fabrics such as wool and silk, as well as paper, easily accessible foods in your pantry and, sometimes, rubber.

Paper Wasps and Yellowjackets

Oklahoma City is home to a variety of stinging wasps, including paper wasps and yellowjackets. Paper wasps in particular, expand their colonies during the summer months and are particularly aggressive during that time. One way to tell if paper wasps are on your property is to look for their nests, which look like a light grey upside-down umbrella and feature a honeycomb pattern. They make their nests from wood shavings (from decks, chairs, wooden lawn furniture, and lumber). When mixed with their saliva, these wood shavings are formed into paper wasp nests.

Unlike paper wasps, yellow jackets build their nests in the ground. They are also even more aggressive than paper wasps and, like paper wasps, are capable of stinging multiple times, not losing their stinger after an initial attack. If you suspect you have stinging insects on your property, get in touch with the professionals at Terminix to help tame your stinging insect problem.