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Termite Control

Target Pest Management Company specializes in residential termite control, pre-construction termite treatments and real estate inspections.

Residential Pest Control

Our technicians specialize in eliminating unwanted critters quickly so that you can feel comfortable again. We use premium quality products to terminate pests such as roaches, ants, spiders and rodents,

Commercial Pest Control

Target Pest Management Company has been focused on providing professional pest control services to commercial businesses since 1989.

Target Pest Management Company is a family owned business. We have a professional team of highly experienced and certified experts in the field of pest control. We work hard to provide our clients with truly reliable and tailored solutions to eliminate or control all of their pest problems. Our commitment to you is to always provide safe and effective solutions that are tailored to your individual unique needs.

No one likes an unwelcome guest and termites are some of the worst offenders. While we can’t offer any help with human visitors, termites are one of our specialties here at Target Pest.
Keep reading to learn more about how to identify these wood-eating bugs, what termite damage looks like, and how to handle an infestation.

What are termites?

Termites are pests that feed on wood, typically older wood like what is often found in the structure and foundation of your house. This means termites can harm the structural integrity of your home and should be addressed as early as possible.
Every year in the United States, termites cause more than $5 billion in damage.
Termites typically have straight antennas and defined waists. They’re brown, beige, or black in color. Some termites, especially those that reproduce, have wings, but not all termites do.
While there are many different types of termites native to the United States, subterranean termites may pose the greatest risk to your structure due to their preferred location in your foundation. As most termites are between ¼ and ½ of an inch in length, they can be tricky to identify.

Which type of termite is most common?

Eastern subterranean termites are the most common termites, generally speaking. However, depending on where you live, there may be other termite species that are common, like Drywood or Dampwood termites, which live in structures cut off from soil. There are over 2,600 species of termites worldwide, so it can be hard to identify what specific type you have in your home without professional help.
Subterranean termites typically infest fallen trees, stumps, or dead wood that are in contact with soil, including any dead wood in the structural lumber of homes, especially wood that touches landscape soil.
As their subterranean name suggests, they build their nests underground, ruled by a queen who has a significantly longer lifespan than the rest of the colony. The reproductive termites are winged, but the soldiers and workers are not. Most of them are dark brown or caramel colored. After it rains, you may see swarms of the winged termites appear. This is one way you can identify a termite infestation in or near your home.
Other ways to spot these termites include looking for termite shelter tubes, which are small tunnels they create from mud, soil, and even concrete to get from their nests to their food source. They look like small holes or tunnels, and if you break them open, you’ll find the termites moving back and forth from the colony to their food source (your home!). The last way to identify subterranean termites in your home is to look for punctures or blisters in your wood. If you’re able to poke them open easily and see termites inside—well, you have a termite infestation.

What is the lifespan of a termite?

While most termites live only for a year or two, queen termites can live for about a decade, The queens handle all the major destructive planning, like evil geniuses behind a heist operation. Any wooden structure that is close to soil or that is old is a great spot for them to spawn—that includes your spare firewood, older trees, or antique wooden furniture.

So why do termites eat wood?

It’s not the wood that termites are after as much as what is in the wood. Like other plant cells, wood has cellulose, which is an important polysaccharide carbohydrate that helps our little leggy adversaries thrive. Termites eat dead cellulose, which is found—you guessed it—in dry wood like what you’ll find in wood piles or the structure of your home. While Drywood termites don’t necessarily prefer decaying wood, they will probably get through it faster because it’s easier to eat.
When it comes to wood species, termites don’t have much of a preference, although they may avoid cedar and redwood. Most commonly-used construction materials, however, are fair game.
Did you know? Termites do eat wood, but they don’t actually digest it themselves. Termites have a symbiotic relationship with a protozoa in their gut that breaks down the wood and turns it into a carbohydrate that they can digest.
The speed at which termites eat wood (and cause damage to your home) varies due to factors such as the size of the colony, the size of each bug, and the climate. However, once they start, the damage is slow and steady. In three to eight years, you could see significant problems that put your home and family at risk.

What causes termites?

When the weather warms up, so do termite appetites. Termites love warm, moist places to start their colonies, and, oftentimes, the subterranean areas of your home fit the bill.
Subterranean termites usually nest in or near soil because of its ability to hold moisture. They use shelter tubes to move out of the soil to find food. They are often found feasting on wood that has been slightly decayed because of the decay fungi mentioned above.

Where might I find termite damage?

Damage can occur anywhere there’s wood! However, the most common areas of damage are found in the foundation of your house because of its close proximity to moist soil where termites live. The moisture from the soil can also increase the speed of decay in your foundational wood, attracting the termites and creating an ongoing cycle of termite breeding and infestation. Ceilings, walls, and floors are also attractive to termites if they are exposed to moisture and have any decay you may not be aware of.
A good rule of thumb is to look for water damage in your wood. If it looks like you have water damage, it could just be termites capitalizing on a slightly damp environment and damaging the wood on their own. Wood damage caused by water and damage caused by termites looks similar. Signs like peeling paint and pin-sized holes (almost as if someone went to town on your wall with a thumbtack) are tell-tale signs you may need a termite protection service plan.

How can I prevent termite infestations before they happen?

Prevent soil from coming into contact with wood on your property (minimize moisture that stays in the ground after it rains)
Fill in any gaps (termites love to wedge themselves in tiny, unoccupied places)
Store firewood away from your home
Patch up leaks and watch out for water-based decay (your basement is a hot spot for termites due to its proximity to the ground)

Why choose Target Pest Management Company for termite pest control?

Our core values are literally how we got our name. Target Pest is an acronym for:

Honesty
Attitude
Work ethic
Excellence

These are the governing principles for why we do what we do.
Plus, with free estimates at Target Pest, you’ve got nothing to lose by giving us a call about your newest home intruders.
Ready to bid those termites adieu? We’ve got you covered, and can’t wait to discuss the best options for you.

Stop the stream of ants; call Target Pest Management Company

Ants are small, opportunistic insects that live in gigantic colonies that can often exceed more than a million ants. Despite their tiny size, ants are widely regarded for their unbelievable strength, including their ability to lift several times their own body weight and carry it singlehandedly. They also have a tremendous sense of smell—several times better than that of a dog. That means they can latch on to even the faintest whiff of a scent and follow it into areas where you might have food or waste stored. Because they only need the tiniest gap to get in, ants often find their way into our homes and businesses, and it is extremely difficult to remove them once they do.
Are you struggling with an ant problem? Target Pest Management Company can help. We offer a full range of ant control services, including both extermination and preventative measures, throughout Illinois and Missouri. We know ants inside and out and have handled problems of all shapes and sizes with a wide variety of different types of ants. They’re tremendously common, but that doesn’t make them easy to deal with, and our team is ready to handle any issue you might be facing.

What are ants?

There’s a strong chance you can probably easily identify ants just by looking at them. These tremendously commonplace insects are one of the most common and consistent parts of life. Ants are everywhere, and experts estimate there are literally quadrillions of the bugs on earth. Ants have a few common, defining features, including a three-segmented body, six legs, bent antennae, and a tendency to live in colonies. However, there are some key differences, including physical appearance, food preferences, behavior, and more. Likewise, some types of ants are more dangerous and aggressive than others, presenting a bigger and more urgent issue for your property.

What do ants typically look like?

Ranging between 1 to 30 mm, there is a tangible size difference between ant species. However, some common visual attributes of most species of ants include:

bent antennae
a defined “waist” in between their abdomen and thorax and 3 body parts
chewing mouthparts

Most ants are brown or black, but they can also be yellow or red. The color isn’t always helpful for identifying the species, but it’s a good starting point. Keep reading to learn more about specific ant species, where they live, and which ones may be found inside your home.

Common ant behaviors:

The habits and tendencies of ants can vary, but some common actions amongst most species are listed below.

They consider themselves to be part of a whole and often manage tasks as a group
Ants leave pheromones on surfaces and food that they touch, which is a signal to other ants that an object in question is safe
They pile food or other items together to build nests or other organized structures
They don’t like to live in super icy climates like Antarctica, Greenland, and Iceland. Otherwise, you can find ants literally anywhere else in the world.
They usually eat sugary substances as well as plant sap and other small insects
They carry whatever food they find back to their nests and can carry food or other objects that are over 10 times their weight

Given that ants view themselves as part of a collective whole, the best treatment options for these insects are often informed by this component of their psychology.

Types of ants:

There are over 12,000 species of ants in the world. Although they have some things in common that we highlighted above, the species can differ from one another too. Some of the most common species of ants are described below.

Little black ants

As you may have guessed from their name, these ants are small in size (1.5 to 2mm) and typically black in color (some can be dark brown). They can be found throughout the U.S., but mainly on the coasts, and are most active from June to August. They build nests in wooded areas, under logs or rocks, or in rotting wood or wall voids inside or outside of your home. Little black ants have stingers, but they are too small to cause any real harm to people. They eat common ant foods like grease, oil, meats, fruits, other insects, and plant nectar. It’s hard to control a colony once it’s been established, so prevention is key when it comes to keeping these types of small ants out of your home. Seal cracks and crevices in walls, keep firewood outside of the home, and try to locate any nests that are nearby so you know where the ants are coming from.

Carpenter ants

Carpenter ants are large, typically around ½ to ⅝ of an inch in size. They have heart-shaped heads and can be any combination of red, brown, or black in color. Most are wingless, except for the swarmers, who hatch during spring and summer months and are known as flying carpenter ants. They eat sugars, nectars, and insects like many other ant species. Carpenter ants are often confused with termites because they are similar in size and burrow into wood. Some easy ways to tell them apart are by their antennae (carpenter ants have bent antennae while termites have straight antennae) and by their tunnels (carpenter ants dig clean tunnels while termites dig messy tunnels). Both insects nest in damp or damaged wood that has a lot of moisture. The biggest issue with carpenter ants and termites is that their excessive tunneling can compromise the structural integrity of your home.

Fire ants

You can identify the most common type of fire ant, the red imported fire ant, by its reddish brown or yellow color and its small size (1–5 mm). They can be found in tropical locations in South and Central America and in more temperate climates in North America as well. They like to eat and attack poultry and planted grain. These ants can be aggressive, especially the worker ants. They don’t just sting; they also bite to hold themselves steady and adequately inject their stinger. Like most insects, fire ants probably won’t bother you unless they feel threatened. However, if you are stung or bitten, the resulting pustules may get infected if they’re scratched open.

Signs of an ant Infestation:

No matter what species you have around your home, there are some common signs of an ant infestation that can include:

Ant trails or lines of ants
Ant mounds around your property
Ants in your trees
Groups of ants on your countertops enjoying discarded leftovers

Most ants do not cause damage to your home (except carpenter ants) or harm to people (except fire ants). Pharaoh ants can also transmit diseases like salmonella and strep. An ant infestation can be unsanitary though and can contaminate your food. Learn more about how to get rid of any existing ant infestations and colonies below and find some more tips to prevent them from coming back.

How do I get rid of ants in my house?

There are some really great home remedies you can try if your ant infestation isn’t out of control yet. These methods also work to prevent an ant infestation in the first place.

Spray a mixture of boiling water, vinegar, and baking soda on infested areas
Place Diatomaceous Earth anywhere you think there are susceptibilities in your home
Use Borax or cornstarch in areas where you’ve seen ants before
Keep your home clean of crumbs and discard leftover food or store dry foods in closed containers
Seal cracks in your walls or crevices in your floorboards with caulk or other sealants

Most of these techniques will work outdoors as well to repel ants from the exterior of your house. While these methods can work for virtually any ant species, they’re not guaranteed to eradicate all ants in a colony. If you have a large infestation or you think there are several nests and colonies surrounding your home, a professional pest control service like Target may be the best option for ant control and removal of large nests surrounding your property.

How to properly control an ant problem:

Eliminating ants is a difficult task, meaning it is often best to leave it to trained and experienced professionals. The team at Target Pest Management Company has extensive experience and training in dealing with ant problems and can provide you with both services for your current problem and preventative treatments to keep ants away for good. For home and business owners looking to eliminate ants, nobody else offers comprehensive solutions like we can.
However, there are a few things you can do to prevent ants from coming in yourself, and we advise everybody to follow these bits of advice, regardless of whether or not you receive frequent treatments.

Place weather-stripping around windows and doors, and door sweeps on exterior doors.
Cut tree branches and overgrown vegetation away from the exterior of your house.
Repair any openings in the foundation and exterior walls of your home.
Remove fallen trees and tree stumps from your property.
Rinse out jars and cans before placing them in recycle bins.
Keep tight-fitting or locking lids on outdoor trash cans and compost bins.

Did you know spiders are one of the most feared things in the country? Arachnophobia affects anywhere from 3.5 to 6 percent of the global population, and it’s not uncommon here in the United States either. Spiders are creepy, and their eight long legs and small bodies give them a foreboding appearance. Combined that with the fact that many spiders are venomous, and some can grow extremely large, and you have a recipe for fear. However, spiders are also a tremendously common pest all across the country, even though they do serve an important purpose in our ecosystem. If you’re tired of spiders taking up residence in your home, Target Pest Management Company can help. Whether you have a problem with small crawlers, or you have an issue with some pretty big bugs taking root around your property, call Target Pest for some of the premier spider control services in the region. We proudly offer a wide selection of spider-related services, including comprehensive prevention that gets them out and keeps them away. We know inside is the last place you expect or want to see a spider, so we make sure to protect your property with an effective perimeter and ongoing, repeated treatments that keep the problem at bay for good.

What are spiders?

Spiders are arachnids with eight legs (instead of six legs like insects). There are over 46,000 different species of spiders around the world. Typically black in color, some species do have brighter colors on their bodies that act as natural warning signals, such as a black widow’s red mark on its back. Spiders have six to eight eyes, which allows them to look in multiple directions at once. Unlike some insects with three distinct body segments, spiders only have two. Most spiders are under 3.5 inches in size; however, female spiders are generally bigger than males. The largest spiders are tarantulas. Some types have venomous fangs, but most do not.

How do spiders make webs?

The main, distinct characteristic that we know about spiders is their ability to spin silk webs. They are the only animal that can spin such strong silk. Their special glands secrete silk proteins that they then push through their pairs of spinnerets in the back of their abdomen. Spider silk is stronger than steel (yes, really) and can be stretched for quite a while before it breaks. Depending on the kind of web native to that particular spider, the building process can vary. What most spider webs have in common though is the tether points that hold the web in place, while also creating a safe place for the spider to hide in while waiting for edible prey to fall victim to the sticky silk.

What are the types of spider webs?

While there isn’t a particular scientific amount that has been documented, these are the five main types of webs:

Funnel web
Tangled web (aka the cob web, most common around your house)
Sheet web
Orb web (like a wheel with spokes, the kind you might see morning dew on)
Sperm web (relatively small, used for mating)

What do spiders eat?

Spiders are predators; they mainly eat insects. Some spiders chase their prey while most others rely on their webs to catch their next winged meal. Spiders do more help than harm oftentimes because their natural diet keeps the mosquito, moth, and fly populations at bay. Some spiders even eat other spiders for the ultimate natural pest control.

Where do spiders live?

These eight-legged critters enjoy spinning their webs in undisturbed, indoor locations. They are found worldwide in all elevations and climates, although many species prefer tropical climates and can be found there. There are even species of spiders that can live in the water. Spiders don’t stay in one place; in fact, when they are young they secrete long strands of their silk web that allows them to travel with the wind. Through this process, spiders can actually travel up to 2,600 feet.

What are the different types of spiders?

Given that there are so many species of spiders, we can’t name them all here. Below are the most common types of spiders that you might encounter around your home.

Jumping spiders (Salticidae)

This is the largest family of spiders with over 4,000 species. With that many species in this group, they clearly vary in size. One thing they have in common is their four pairs of eyes which gives them great eyesight (but not at night). This allows them to easily stalk and leap or jump to get their prey. They can be found throughout the U.S.
Most jumping spiders are furry, black in color, and can have colorful markings (which can create confusion between black widows and jumping spiders at first glance).

Ground spiders (Gnaphosidae)

Another large family of spiders, these species typically live underneath rocks, logs, or other objects on the ground. They’re typically red, gray, or brown in color and hunt and chase prey instead of using webs.
Wolf spiders are a type of ground spider. They are hairy, large, and have good eyesight that they use to chase down their prey.

Yellow sac spiders

These spiders are typically yellow or beige in color and have a lance-shaped mark on the top of their abdomen. They’re fairly small and usually only grow to ¼ of an inch. They have dark brown fangs. These spiders eat other spiders who get caught in their webs. They also eat other insects and insect eggs.
They are mainly active at night. During the day they retreat to their webs, also called sacs. Outside, they prefer to live in bushes, gardens, leaf piles, and trees. They can be found throughout the U.S., mainly in warmer areas.

Crab spiders

These spiders have long front legs and walk backwards or sideways like a crab, hence their name. They are often gray or brown in color and about ½ of an inch in size. They don’t spin webs; instead they hide and wait for any prey.

Venomous spiders

In the U.S., spiders like black widows and brown recluse spiders fall into this category Overall, most venomous spiders aren’t dangerous unless they feel threatened and bite out of defense. And, even then, most spider bites only cause skin irritation.
If a venomous spider bites you, you’ll want to see a doctor because the venom could cause a more severe reaction in some people. Read more about identifying spider bites and what to do if you encounter a venomous spider below.

What are the signs and symptoms of a spider bite?

Redness, pain, and swelling are typical symptoms of a harmless spider bite. If you’ve got flu-like symptoms including but not limited to the following, medical attention is highly recommended:

Nausea
Chills or fever
Cramping
Tremors
Sweating
Skin ulcer with dead skin around it

As with all medical concerns, it’s always better to be safe than sorry, so don’t hesitate to talk to a professional if you notice any of the signs of a venomous bite above in yourself or your family.

What to do if you find a black widow spider?

Black widows may be the most famous venomous spider. If you notice the red, hourglass marking on the back, you’ve most likely encountered one of these.
In a chance meeting with a black widow, don’t attempt to relocate it by hand. While black widow bites aren’t necessarily lethal, they do pose significant health risks and symptoms including pain and burning, can cause nerve damage, and could be especially dangerous for young children or elderly adults. Contact us if you encounter them in your home, garage or yard.

What to do if you find a brown recluse spider?

Another common venomous spider is the brown recluse. They can be found across America, but mostly between Texas and Florida, and up to Ohio. They like to be outside, but can live inside too, especially if you have old cardboard lying around. Rotting tree bark is a favorite location for brown recluse spiders to live.
If you see a brown recluse and it bites you, it’s best to seek medical attention immediately. The bites are not typically fatal, but their bite can cause some tissue damage. Contact us if you encounter them in your home, garage or yard.

We handle a wide variety of common spiders across the region, including:

While many people know that some spiders are venomous, and some are even dangerous to be around, the spiders we generally come across daily are harmless. Believe it or not, all spiders are venomous, but most venom isn’t strong enough to cause anything more than a painful or itchy welt on most people. When you consider that spiders help control other pest populations, you can see why they are important to have around. However, we understand if you want to keep these crawlers outside where they belong.

Tips for at home:

While serious spider problems like a brown recluse or black widow infestation should best be left to a professional, there are a few things you can do to keep spiders at bay. This will keep your home free of these pests and prevent them from potentially interfering with your day to day life. If you ever find that your spider problem is getting out of hand, or that you’re seeing a few too many of these pests in your home for your liking, we recommend reaching out to us to have your home or business treated again as soon as possible.

Seal up cracks in your foundation, exterior walls, and spaces around air conditioners.
Keep storage areas in your home are neat, organized, and free of clutter.
Repair or replace torn window screens and screens over roofline vent holes.
Keep outbuilding windows and doors closed.
Caulk any gaps around windows and doors; install weather stripping.
Regularly remove spider webs from your home
Remove woodpiles, rock piles, leaf piles, and fallen trees from your property.

Call Target Pest Management Company for help today!

Cockroaches are one of the ugliest and most unsightly insects that frequently invade homes. Cockroaches are fairly large for insects, can move surprisingly quickly, most species can fly, and they tend to hide in areas that you often don’t pay a ton of attention to. These pests often carry a number of diseases, and their affinity for living near wet and messy areas means they’re often a frustrating indicator of uncleanliness.
If you’re sick and tired of roaches appearing in your home, Target Pest can help. We know roaches, and we understand their behavior. That means we know how to keep them at bay effectively and permanently. Our preventative measures are designed to target the leading causes of your cockroach problems, keeping them away and preventing roaches from having any way or reason to enter your property. We even offer commercial-grade roach prevention services, including specialized pest control treatments designed for restaurants, medical facilities, and more! We proudly serve several cities across the region.

What are cockroaches?

Cockroaches are a fairly large type of insect pest that has a tendency to live in dark, damp, and dirty places where they can find an abundance of food. They are typically flat, have oval-shaped bodies, are usually brown in color, have long antennae, and many species also have wings and can fly. However, all species are surprisingly quick and can scurry from place to place in a hurry. Roaches eat both food and non-food materials, and that often means they like to live in areas around trashcans, wastebins, and compost piles. They are also prolific breeders, meaning just a few invaders can create a large-scale infestation in a short period of time.

What are the most common types of cockroaches?

Only 30 out of the 4,600 known species of cockroaches live with humans, Of the 30, here are the three most common types you may find in your home.

American cockroach

American cockroaches, also known as palmetto bugs, are 1–2 inches in length, reddish-brown in color, and have a flat body with a figure eight-shaped yellow marking behind their heads. They’re extremely fast runners and can travel up to 50 body-lengths per second.
American roaches tend to be found in large buildings, in sewer drains, in basements, and landscaping, especially in subtropical and tropical environments. At times, they may wander into houses, especially in warmer regions.

German cockroach

Lighter in color and smaller in size, German cockroaches are the most common type of roach and they thrive in shelters with humans. They are about 0.5 inches in size and live 5–7 months after reaching adulthood.
What makes German cockroaches so invasive? Well, they compensate for their shorter lifespans with their rapid maturity and breeding rates. Female German roaches produce eggs three days after mating, and the eggs hatch within 20 days. About 30–40 eggs hatch into nymphs at a time. A typical German cockroach nymph completes development in two months. Many overlapping generations of German roaches can easily coexist at one time.
They eat pretty much everything as well, including table scraps, pet food, even the glue found in cardboard boxes and book bindings. Large infestations in apartment buildings or multi-family homes can cause allergic reactions for the people living there, due to direct contact and sometimes even bites from the roaches.

Oriental cockroach

The Oriental cockroach, also known as a water bug, likes to live in wet and moist areas like sewers, crawl spaces, and plumbing drains in the kitchen or bathroom. They are usually found in California up through the Pacific Northwest, in the midwest, and in the southern United States. These roaches eat garbage, sewage, or decaying organic matter found in plumbing. They’re typically black in color and have a smooth, shiny exterior. An adult can live 1–6 months and often produces its eggs during spring and summer.

What do roaches eat?

Cockroaches, especially German roaches, eat just about anything. It’s nearly impossible to eliminate their food sources as they will eat most organic materials like hair, fingernails, glue, paper products, dead insects, and even some inorganic material like plastics. Even if you have managed to cut off all food sources, roaches can survive up to a month without food.
However, they are extremely sensitive to dehydration and cannot survive more than a week without water. Hunting for water sources is natural to them and they can live off of the smallest amount of moisture.

Where do cockroaches come from?

Cockroaches can invade your home through holes or cracks in your walls or floors, through the sewer, or from drains. If your neighbor has a cockroach problem, they can easily spread into your home through these entry points. Some roaches can even find their way into your home by hitching a ride on items from the outside, such as in the boxes you might bring home from a large warehouse store, or any other building with a cockroach infestation. German cockroaches are generally introduced to a structure via human activity.

What are signs of a roach infestation?

It’s not super easy to find signs of an early roach infestation, since roaches are nocturnal and typically come out only at night. But, if you do see a single cockroach, it can mean there are more. If you do you see them out in daylight, this is a sign of overcrowding, which means there are a lot more hiding out of plain sight.
Contact a pest control expert, like Target Pest, as soon as you spot any of the following signs.

Droppings and smear marks
Cockroaches leave behind droppings or smear marks wherever they crawl—on your walls, furniture, or even your food. Check hidden areas and crevices, such as floor corners, cabinets, under sinks, fridges, or stoves.
Smaller cockroaches produce small black feces similar to coffee grinds or black pepper, while larger species produce cylindrical feces the size of a grain of rice. Smear marks and small, brown stains are unsolidified cockroach waste.
Unusual odor
Cockroaches taint everything they touch with a musty smell, attracting other roaches to the site. This musty smell comes from their pheromones found in their feces or dead bodies. This odor becomes stronger as the infestation grows larger.
Egg casings
Cockroaches lay or carry oval-shaped capsules called ootheca. These capsules may contain more than 20 eggs at a time. The shell of the ootheca is left behind once the eggs hatch. If you find this shell around your floor or in your cabinets, it’s a pretty clear sign there are hatched roaches in your home.
Skin sheddings
As they mature into adulthood, cockroaches shed their tough exterior shells about 5–8 times. These skins are often light-brown and oval-shaped like their bodies. Look for them in possible nesting locations or other hidden areas.
Property damage
Check for damage on packaging and other organic materials in your kitchen. While cockroaches do not harm the structural integrity of any buildings, they can cause small property damages overtime to your paper products and books, wallpaper, or some furniture. Since cockroaches eat glue and similar materials, parts of your home that have adhesives may deteriorate. Check your baseboards for smear stains. In serious infestations, the sheer volume of cockroach colonies in a home can damage walls, floors, or insulation.

What are common roach hiding places?

Roaches tend to look for dark, warm, damp spaces close to food sources. The kitchen alone has plenty of locations that are perfect for a roach colony.
Here are some more common places to check for German roaches—the most common type of roach you’ll find in your home.
Kitchen appliances
Check for egg casings, droppings, or skin sheddings under and behind the fridge, stove, and small kitchen appliances where there may be crumbs and other debris.
Inside cabinets
Food spills and unsealed packaging attract unwelcome pests, especially cockroaches. Cabinets under sinks make excellent nesting grounds. Look for the telltale signs mentioned above in the corners of these spaces.
Plumbing
Cockroaches often live close to pipes because they provide moisture. Unfortunately, these pipes run throughout your home and will not be immediately accessible to you.
You can possibly catch sightings of roaches in areas with exposed plumbing such as the basement or your boiler room. A floor drain is also a common hiding spot and entry point for German cockroaches or water bugs.
Furniture
While not as invasive in furniture as bedbugs,, cockroaches can easily use parts of your furniture as a nesting ground. A roach may leave their eggs to hatch inside your couch, under the bed, or in the closet.
Electronics
If you eat while you’re working, crumbs and food particles can fall into your keyboard or other crevices. Cockroaches are able to maneuver through the tiniest spaces and may hang around more if they see regular food sources near your nice warm electronic devices.
Storage
If you have any cardboard boxes lying around and you suspect a roach infestation is happening in your home, dispose of the boxes immediately as they are a food source for roaches. Multiple boxes stacked together make a good nesting and breeding location for them.

Are roaches dangerous?

Roaches can be potentially harmful to humans if infestations aren’t managed correctly. This is because they can carry harmful bacteria and diseases, and they contaminate everything they touch. The pathogens found in their bodies and legs are discarded everywhere they go. These waste products also attract more cockroaches and feed the young nymphs to maturity, making the infestation more difficult to control with time.
Roaches can spread E. coli and salmonella or bring in diseases such as dysentery, cholera, and listeriosis into your home. Some people may develop allergic reactions or rashes from having a cockroach come into contact with their skin or from a rare roach bite. Empty egg casings, exoskeletons, and roach waste products can also trigger breathing problems, particularly if you have allergies or asthma.

How do you prevent roach infestations before they start?

These tips can help you prevent German cockroach infestations in the future.

Clean thoroughly

Regularly vacuum your floors, upholstered items, and furniture so there are no crumbs lingering on these items. Keep kitchen areas clean and free of food debris. Check and sweep under and behind kitchen appliances and inside your cupboards.

If you spot any smear marks or stains, wash and scrub the area with lukewarm water and soap. Then let it dry. Spray disinfectant on the area and let it sit for a few minutes, Wipe with a dry cloth and wash the area with lukewarm water and soap.

If there are smear marks on your clothes, rub chlorine on the smeared area and let it sit on the fabric before putting it in the wash. When handling and cleaning smears, make sure not to touch them directly.

Seal off any openings

Place weather stripping around windows and doors and replace damaged or torn window and door screens. Check your home for any cracks on the exterior and make sure to seal any openings.

Store food properly

Remember to also keep trash cans and compost bins covered and secured, and make sure your food is properly stored and sealed.

Use a dehumidifier

Use a dehumidifier to dry out your basement. Inspect pipes and fixtures inside and outside your home and immediately fix any leaks.

Inspect cardboard before you bring it inside

Before bringing boxes, furniture, or appliances into your home, inspect the items first, especially when you are purchasing these items secondhand.

Help, I have a German roach infestation! How do I get rid of them?

Cockroach infestations can be difficult to handle. Because German cockroaches rapidly reproduce, it’s important to act quickly. To ensure the effectiveness of pest treatments, like the comprehensive service from Target Pest, it’s important that homeowners and pest specialists work together.

How can Target Pest help with German cockroaches?

Target Pest Management Company will address a German cockroach infestation right at the source, destroying their nests, identifying and blocking any possible entry point, and fully cleansing your home of cockroach residue and smells. We tailor our treatments to the season for maximum effectiveness.
Our German Cockroach treatment includes removing all visible cockroaches using a vacuum and a thorough inspection of the home for cockroach activity. The inspection helps us to identify (and then communicate to homeowners) what places in the home are optimal for roaches and to determine optimal treatment zones.
Following treatment, we recommend a monthly recurring service where these products are reapplied and the house is reinspected.

Getting rid of roaches:

Eliminating cockroaches is a difficult task, and that’s why we recommend leaving it to a professional, particularly for severe infestations and major problems. If you have a serious issue, Target Pest offers comprehensive solutions using modern techniques and materials. Every service is customized to the customer, and we even tailor our treatments to the season for maximum effectiveness.
However, you may want some helpful tips for keeping roaches away. When combined with proper prevention, these suggestions will help you avoid a roach problem in the future.

Regularly vacuum your floors, and keep kitchen areas clean and free of food debris.
Check the exterior walls of your property, sealing off any openings you find.
Place weather-stripping around windows and doors.
Replace torn window or door screens.
Dry out basements using dehumidifiers.
Make sure outdoor trash cans and compost bins have locking lids.
Fix leaky pipes and fixtures – both inside and outside of your home or business.
Inspect packages, boxes, and used appliances for cockroaches before bringing them in.

Helping rid homes & businesses of bed bug infestations:

Target Pest Management Company is here to help you effectively remove bed bugs from your property. While small, these insects pose a major health risk to people and animals. It’s important you seek pest control services at the first sign of bed bugs, the longer you wait the more time these creatures have to infest a space.

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are parasitic insects, and their appearance varies at each stage of life: egg, nymph, and adult. Their sole source of nutrition is blood from warm-blooded mammals, with people being their favorite hosts. Adult bed bugs are brownish-red and about the same size and shape of an apple seed. After feeding, their bodies swell and turn a purple-red color. Nymphs are smaller and are transparent, turning bright red after feeding. Eggs are very tiny – only the size of a pinhead –and almost impossible to see.
When bed bugs get into homes, they bring with them sleepless nights and stress-filled days. Their bites produce red raised welts that are very itchy; secondary infections may develop due to excessive scratching. Although bed bugs are nuisance pests, they can harbor some disease-causing pathogens. Bed bug excrement, and blood left from their bites, stains walls, floors, fabrics, upholstery, mattresses, and box springs. With large infestations, you may also notice a sweet, musty smell developing in your home.

What do bed bugs look like?

Bed bugs are brown or red with flat, oval-shaped, segmented bodies, two antennae, and six legs. Fully grown bed bugs are translucent and about the same size and shape as an apple seed (about 3/16 to ¼ of an inch).
After feeding, adult bed bugs’ bodies swell and turn a purple-red color. Nymphs have transparent bodies, which are invisible when they haven’t eaten, but will look bright red after feeding. Bed bug eggs are tiny and also almost impossible to see. They are shorter than one millimeter, about the size of a pin-head or a fleck of salt, and often white in color.

How long do bed bugs live?

An adult bed bug has a lifespan that can range typically from two to four months; however, if unchecked and part of a very favorable environment, some bed bugs can live up to a year.
The life cycle of a bedbug is broken down into seven stages. An adult female lays between one to five eggs a day. A single bedbug can lay 200 to 250 eggs in her lifetime. Eggs can hatch between 6 to 10 days. A newly-hatched nymph will then feed and shed its exoskeleton to grow to the next stage. Nymphs can take as little as five weeks or up to four to six months to grow into a full adult. As a general rule, bed bugs feed every 10 days. This process repeats until they reach adulthood.

Where do bed bugs come from?

Accidentally encountering bed bugs and introducing them into your home can happen during the travel process or while completing day to day activities. They live and hide in a variety of locations, usually in public places where groups of people come and go each day. Hotels, airports, taxis, movie theaters, hospitals, shopping centers, and libraries are all places people can encounter bed bugs. Bed bugs also hitchhike their way inside of used mattresses and box springs, used furniture or electronics, clothes, or any other single item that was in a bed bug-infested room. If you live in an apartment, bed bugs can spread within a building from the neighboring suite to your home.

How to check for bed bugs?

Bed bugs got their name because they gravitate to the sleeping areas near people initially. Common hiding spots for bed bugs include headboards, mattresses, and box springs. If you don’t eliminate an infestation quickly, the bed bugs will travel to other parts of a home, including upholstered furniture, floors, behind baseboards, in wall voids behind outlets, and inside keyboards and electronics.
Bed bugs tend to come out at night and prefer to stay hidden. Catching a live bed bug in the open is nearly impossible. If you do see one crawling over your bedding, the infestation in your home may be so severe that getting rid of them will take more effort and time (and maybe some professional help).
Checking some of their favorite hiding spots more closely is one way to check for bed bugs. Monitoring any bite marks on your family, your pets, or yourself is another way.

Where do bed bugs hide?

Bed bugs thrive in places where people rest long enough to allow the bugs to finish feeding undisturbed. Feeding times for bed bugs are between 3 to 10 minutes.
After feeding, bed bugs tend to hide out of sight in nooks and crevices you may not expect. Knowing how bed bugs eat and survive will help you look at the common living areas below for any indicators of a bed bug infestation.
Beds
Your bed is most desirable to a bed bug looking to grow its brood. Food sources are always close by and there are so many places to burrow until it’s time to feed again or lay eggs.
Check for unusual spots on the sheets, pillow, mattress pad, mattress, and every seam and crevice of your bed. This includes your headboard, bed frame, the floor, especially if you have an area rug or carpet, and other places around your bed.
Couches
Your average favorite show on TV lasts about 25 minutes, which is plenty of time for bed bugs to feel sated until their next meal. Any upholstered piece of furniture where people hang around on a regular basis works well for bed bugs. This could be an armchair, ottoman, or even a wheelchair. Check every side of your seat and under the cushions for dark spots.
Baseboards and door hinges
So long as it is close to their blood supply, bed bugs will be there. That’s why baseboards, particularly in the bedroom and living areas where you frequently relax, are decent spots for bed bugs to live. They’re not only excellent and convenient hiding spots but also the fastest way to travel from one room to another.
Bed bugs can choose any unusual spot that has crevices, including door hinges, so long as it is close enough to you, their food source.
Electrical fixtures
A spreading bed bug infestation can travel through walls and floors into adjacent rooms. Another access point besides baseboards are light sockets, outlets, and switches. These little nooks are great places for the bugs to hide until they are ready to feed when you’re sitting next to outlet by your desk, in your favorite chair, or fast asleep in bed.
Electronics
Your laptop can easily house bed bugs in all of your keyboard crevices. Other places that have little electronic spaces for plugs (and bed bugs) are TVs, computer CPUs, and fans or air purifiers. If any of these electronics came from an infested area, bed bugs may be hiding in there.

Signs of a bed bug infestation in your home:

Now that you know where to look, the next step is to know the markers of a bed bug infestation. Bites can be a sign you are housing these guests in your home, but a bite from a bed bug may look similar to a bite from mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, mites, or lice.
Here are some other signs to watch out for so you can stop a bed bug infestation in its tracks.
Blood stains
When bed bugs finish feeding off of you, they might leave some undried blood on your skin, which may also transfer to your sheets. As you sleep, you can also crush a bed bug if you land on it, which can leave any undigested blood from their body as a smear on your sheets, pillow, or upholstered furniture.
Dark spots
Inspect for black, brown, or dark red spots, which may look like a pen or marker ink on fabric and upholstery. You can also look for dry, beady spots on hard surfaces.
These smear marks are bed bug excrement or bodies of crushed bed bugs. Spots clustered in one area are signs of an early infestation; however, they will spread out over time.
Musty smells
Catching a whiff of that sweet, musty scent lingering in your room means you may have a colony of bed bugs living with you. This scent can also smell rusty due to the oxidized iron in your digested and discarded blood.
Bed bugs also use these chemicals to communicate with each other. Therefore, this scent is more noticeable as the colony grows larger.
Shells or casings
Bed bugs have skeletons outside their bodies. They shed these shells or casings about five times as they molt during their growth phase into adulthood. These translucent exoskeletons can appear yellowish to light brown and can be found near their nesting area. Look for shell-like remains under your bed, in the bed frame, and under the couch cushions.

Bed Bug Treatment Preparation Check List:

In addition to our professional services, the following prevention tips will help you to keep bed bugs out of your home or business:

Regularly vacuum your home, not forgetting the seams of mattresses, box springs, and upholstered furniture.
After returning home from travel, wash all clothing on the highest heat setting the fabrics can handle.
Never purchase used mattresses, box springs, or upholstered furniture for use inside your home.
Vacuum and wipe down suitcases used during vacation.
After purchasing clothes from retail stores or second-hand stores, immediately wash and dry them.
Reduce hiding spots in your home by placing bed bug proof covers over all mattresses and box springs.
When traveling, use suitcases with hard sides and always inspect your hotel room for bed bugs before bringing luggage and other personal belongings inside.

Eliminating bed bugs is a difficult task, and a job that is best left up to trained and experienced professionals. For home and business owners looking to eliminate bed bugs, Target Pest offers comprehensive pest control services. Our industry-leading services use the latest techniques and best products to provide our customers with peace of mind and pest-free properties.

Call Target Pest Management for your mice & rat problems!

Rodents are different from a number of other pest problems. Rodents are larger than most bugs, and they tend to eat a lot more as well. They also carry a number of different viruses and diseases that many insects don’t carry, including some that are particularly dangerous and even deadly. Rodents are also one of the most damaging pests you can have in your home. In fact, only termites tend to do more damage to homes than mice, rats, and squirrels do. And despite the fact that you might work hard and do everything you can to keep them out, rodents always seem to find their way in through some way you simply weren’t aware of. If you have a pesky rat problem or a colony of mice has moved in, look to Target Pest Management Company for a proper removal solution.
At Target Pest, we know rodent problems, and we’ve seen them come in just about any shape and size. With our experienced team members and our sophisticated rodent control tools, we are prepared to handle just about any job as well. We focus on the most important parts of your rodent issue: where they are, and how they’re getting in. This allows us to not only eliminate the rodents you have, but to prevent them from coming back anytime soon. With our proactive rodent prevention services, you can be certain that your property will be rodent-free, and that’s invaluable for your peace of mind and long-term happiness. Not to mention every service we offer is also backed by our same tremendous customer service that has been trusted everywhere.

Common types of rodents:

One way rodents differ from other pests is that there aren’t nearly as many different types or varieties of rodents that we commonly see in homes or businesses. Whereas there are thousands of different types of insects that might be present, there might be only a dozen or so different types of rodents. Here at Target Pest, we carefully determine what type of rodent problem we’re looking at before taking action, ensuring that our methods target the problem properly and obtain the best possible results.

A few common types of rodents we deal with include:

House mice: small mice that generally grow to about seven and a half inches in length at the absolute most. They have lighter brown fur on their underbelly in addition to gray fur on most of their bodies.
Norway rats: Contrary to their name, Norway rats are not Norwegian. In fact, they’re far more American than most other types of rats, as they’re the most common type of rat found in the country. They can grow up to 17 inches in length and dense bodies with gray and black hair.
Roof rats: Roof rats are generally slightly smaller than Norway rats, and have dark brown to black fur. They generally only grow to about 16 inches in length, and they are superb climbers that often like to enter buildings from upper levels like the roof.

We have also dealt with rodent problems caused by rats, mice, bats, possums, raccoons, and so much more. Whatever you might be faced with, you can be confident that it will be taken care of properly when you trust it to us.

Are rodents dangerous?

Many people don’t realize just how dangerous a rodent infestation can be. In addition to carrying diseases, rodents also tend to damage things in ways you wouldn’t imagine. Rodents often chew on just about everything in sight because their teeth never stop growing. In order to keep them at a reasonable length, rats and mice will chew on everything from structural wood to electrical wires to plumbing lines and everything in between. Rats and mice cause millions of dollars in damage every year, and even a single mouse or rat can cause some seriously expensive damage to your home. To keep them away and prevent them from damaging your home, we recommend keeping your property clean. That means removing the trash when it becomes full of food waste, using your garbage disposal whenever possible, and always making sure your trash is sealed with a tight-fitting lid that prevents odors from escaping.

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