Pest problems are regional.

Formosan Termite

Coptotermes formosanus

10 million workers per colony. Gulf Coast only. Can destroy a structure in months. Professional treatment mandatory — no DIY options.

Year-round breeding in the warm South. Fast reproduction in humid kitchens. Gel bait only — sprays make it worse.

📅 Peak: Summer

🯏

Aedes Mosquitoes

Aedes aegypti / albopictus

Disease Vector

Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya vectors. Year-round in South Florida. Dawn/dusk biters that also bite midday.

Extreme DIY Difficulty

Tourism-heavy region means high hotel exposure. Heat treatment is the only reliable solution.

Found throughout the Southeast. Loves stored boxes, closets, and undisturbed spaces. Desiccant dust is the correct treatment.

Texas has the nation's most severe fire ant problem. All 254 Texas counties are infested. The Two-Step broadcast bait method is standard practice.

📅 Southeast Pest Calendar

Spring (Mar–May)

Fire ant mating swarms
Termite swarmers emerge
Mosquito populations build
German roach reproduction peaks

Summer (Jun–Aug)

Mosquitoes at maximum
Fire ants retreat underground midday
Cockroach populations highest
Yellow jackets aggressive

Fall (Sep–Nov)

Second fire ant peak
Stink bugs invade homes
Spiders most visible
Termites still highly active

Winter (Dec–Feb)

Termites active (no freeze)
Cockroaches year-round indoors
Rodents seek warmth indoors
Fire ants dormant (northern SE)

🌴 Southeast-Specific Tips

Get a termite bondAnnual termite inspection + warranty coverage is essential in this region. Standard insurance covers $0 of termite damage.

Fire ant Two-Step MethodBroadcast bait in spring AND fall. Treat individual mounds with contact insecticide. Do not use contact spray alone.

Mosquito source reductionEmpty standing water weekly — flower pots, gutters, birdbaths. One teaspoon of standing water can produce 300+ mosquitoes.

Palmetto bug reality checkThe "palmetto bug" is just the American cockroach. It wanders in from outside. Perimeter treatment + seal entry points is the solution — not the same protocol as German cockroach.

🌳

Southwest

Texas · Arizona · New Mexico · Nevada · Oklahoma

Extreme heat, drought conditions, and the most venomous spider and scorpion species in North America. Fire ants dominate Texas. Bark scorpions in Arizona can be medically significant. Subterranean termites thrive in warm soil year-round.

State for fire ant infestations — Texas

90%

U.S. scorpion stings occur in Arizona

Year-round

Termite activity in TX, AZ, NM

30+

Spider species of concern in this region

Top Pests in the Southwest

🐜

Red Imported Fire Ant

Solenopsis invicta

High Risk

📅 Peak: Spring & Fall

🦑

Bark Scorpion

Centruroides sculpturatus

Venomous

The only medically significant scorpion in the U.S. Found primarily in Arizona. Glows under UV light — inspect at night with a blacklight.

📅 Peak: Summer nights

Western black widow is extremely common across the Southwest. Found in garages, woodpiles, and outdoor structures. Desiccant dust treatment.

Desert Subterranean Termite

Heterotermes aureus

Thrives in dry desert soil. Year-round activity in Arizona and southern Texas. Often found in irrigation-moistened soil near foundations.

Apis mellifera scutellata hybrid

🐝

Africanized Honey Bee

Danger — Do Not Disturb

Established across TX, AZ, NM, NV. Extremely aggressive when disturbed. Never attempt removal — licensed beekeeper or pest control only.

Year-round problem in urban Southwest. Same protocol as elsewhere — gel bait, IGR, no sprays.

Missouri, Kansas, and southern Illinois have the densest populations in the world. Millions of specimens per square mile in some areas. Desiccant dust + glue boards.

📅 Southwest Pest Calendar

Spring (Mar–May)

Scorpion activity increases
Fire ant mating flights
Termite swarmers emerge
Spider egg sacs hatching

Summer (Jun–Aug)

Scorpions peak (monsoon season)
Africanized bees most active
Cockroach reproduction peaks
Mosquitoes around water

Fall (Sep–Nov)

Fire ant second peak
Scorpions seek warm interior
Black widow egg sacs visible
Termites still active

Winter (Dec–Feb)

Termites still active in AZ/TX
Scorpions enter homes for warmth
Rodent pressure increases
Fire ants reduce activity

🌳 Southwest-Specific Tips

UV light for scorpion inspectionBark scorpions fluoresce bright green under UV/blacklight. Walk your home perimeter at night with a UV flashlight before treating.

Seal every gap — scorpions flattenBark scorpions can squeeze through gaps 1/16 inch wide. Seal all plumbing penetrations, weatherstripping, and door sweeps.

Termite pre-treatmentIn AZ and south TX, pre-construction soil treatment with fipronil is common practice. Existing homes should have annual inspections.

Fire ants + drought behaviorDuring droughts, fire ant mounds go underground and are invisible — but the colonies are still there. Broadcast bait treatment works even when mounds aren't visible.

🌿

Midwest

Illinois · Ohio · Indiana · Missouri · Michigan · Wisconsin · Minnesota · Iowa · Kansas · Nebraska

Four distinct seasons create dramatic pest cycles. Brown recluse spiders are common from Missouri south. Stink bugs invade homes every fall. Subterranean termites are present but less severe than the South. Mosquitoes and ticks carry genuine disease risk in summer.

60M

Brown recluse spiders estimated in Missouri alone

Fall

Worst season for stink bug invasions

Lyme

Risk in upper Midwest from deer ticks

Spring

Termite swarm season — March–May

Top Pests in the Midwest

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

🦐

Halyomorpha halys

Nuisance

Invasive from Asia. Invades homes by the hundreds in fall seeking overwintering sites. Seal entry points in summer before they arrive — not after.

📅 Invasion: September–November

🫡

Deer Tick (Black-Legged Tick)

Ixodes scapularis

Lyme Disease Vector

Lyme disease risk in upper Midwest — WI, MN, MI especially. Permethrin clothing treatment and tick checks after outdoor activity are essential.

📅 Peak: May–July, Oct

Eastern Subterranean Termite

Reticulitermes flavipes

Present throughout the Midwest but less severe than the South. Swarm in spring. Annual inspection recommended especially in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana.

Urban Midwest apartment buildings are heavily affected. Multi-unit housing makes treatment more complex — whole-building coordination needed.

📅 Active: Year-round indoors

🐛

Carpenter Ant

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Very common in forested Midwest. Tunnels through moist wood — indicates a moisture problem. Treat source moisture, then bait the colony.

Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania have among the highest Lyme rates nationwide. Permethrin clothing treatment and daily tick checks are not optional in this region.

📅 Midwest Pest Calendar

Spring (Mar–May)

Termite swarmers emerge
Carpenter ants become active
Tick season begins
Brown recluse wakes up

Summer (Jun–Aug)

Tick peak (Lyme risk highest)
Mosquitoes high
Yellow jacket populations peak
Cockroaches most active

Fall (Sep–Nov)

Stink bug invasion
Boxelder bugs enter homes
Mice begin entering structures
Spiders move indoors

Winter (Dec–Feb)

Cockroaches year-round indoors
Mice active in walls
Bed bugs — no seasonal change
Cluster flies in attics

🌿 Midwest-Specific Tips

Brown recluse in MissouriEstimated 60 million brown recluses in Missouri alone. Keep stored boxes off the floor, use plastic bins instead of cardboard, and apply CimeXa dust in closets and basements annually.

Seal before stink bugs arriveStink bugs find entry points in summer and return in fall. Seal cracks, gaps around windows/doors, and utility penetrations in August — before they start looking for overwintering sites.

Tick prevention protocolPermethrin-treat clothing and shoes before hiking or yard work. Check for ticks within 2 hours of outdoor activity — Lyme disease transmission requires 36–48 hours of attachment.

Rodent-proofing before winterMice enter structures when outdoor temperatures drop. Install door sweeps, seal all gaps larger than 1/4 inch, and eliminate food sources in fall before they move in.

🍂

Northeast

New York · New Jersey · Pennsylvania · Connecticut · Massachusetts · Vermont · New Hampshire · Maine · Rhode Island · Delaware · Maryland

The highest Lyme disease incidence in the nation. Dense urban housing creates extreme bed bug pressure. Stink bugs and spotted lanternflies are invasive newcomers. Subterranean termites are present and active — often overlooked in colder climates but causing significant damage.

Region for Lyme disease in the U.S.

NYC

Highest urban bed bug density in the nation

New

Spotted lanternfly spreading rapidly

Spring

Termite swarming season — April–June

Top Pests in the Northeast

🫡

Black-Legged (Deer) Tick

Ixodes scapularis

Lyme Disease Vector

📅 Peak: May–July, October

🛍

Bed Bugs

Cimex lectularius

Extreme DIY Difficulty

NYC and Philadelphia are consistently ranked among the most bed-bug-infested cities in the U.S. Dense multi-unit housing accelerates spread. Heat treatment is the standard.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

🦐

Halyomorpha halys

Nuisance

First established in Allentown, PA in the 1990s — the Northeast is ground zero. Massive fall invasions in PA, NJ, MD. Seal before September.

📅 Invasion: September–November

Eastern Subterranean Termite

Reticulitermes flavipes

Present throughout the Northeast. Often overlooked because people assume "it's too cold for termites." Not true — they're active in heated soil around foundations year-round.

Major problem in high-density urban housing. Multi-unit buildings require coordinated treatment — one untreated unit means the whole building stays infested.

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

🐛

Carpenter Ant

Common throughout the wooded Northeast. Indicates moisture damage. Found in bathrooms, around chimneys, and in crawlspaces with moisture issues.

Common in WA and OR. Builds funnel webs at ground level. Previously believed to cause necrotic bites — current research is less certain but treatment still recommended near homes.

📅 Northeast Pest Calendar

Spring (Mar–May)

Tick season begins (high Lyme risk)
Termite swarmers emerge
Carpenter ants become active
Spotted lanternfly eggs hatch

Summer (Jun–Aug)

Tick peak — Lyme highest risk
Mosquitoes peak near water
Yellow jackets build nests
Carpenter bee activity

Fall (Sep–Nov)

Stink bug mass invasion
Boxelder bug entry
Mice enter structures
Wolf spiders seek warmth

Winter (Dec–Feb)

Bed bugs year-round
Cockroaches indoors
Mice in walls
Cluster flies in attics

🍂 Northeast-Specific Tips

Lyme disease is a real threatCheck for ticks within 2 hours of outdoor activity. Remove with fine-tipped tweezers — do not use petroleum jelly or heat. Save the tick for testing if possible.

Apartment bed bug protocolIf you live in a multi-unit building and have bed bugs, notify management immediately — legally required in most Northeast states. Individual treatment without building-wide coordination rarely succeeds.

Termites in old homesOlder New England homes with wood sills close to soil are particularly vulnerable. Have any home older than 30 years inspected annually, especially after a wet winter.

Spotted lanternfly reportingSpotted lanternfly is spreading rapidly. If you see them, report to your state agriculture department. Destroy egg masses (scrape into alcohol) when found.

🌳

Northwest & West

Washington · Oregon · Idaho · Montana · Wyoming · California · Colorado · Utah

High moisture in the Pacific Northwest creates ideal dampwood termite and moisture ant conditions. California has its own unique pest pressures — Argentine ants, drywood termites in coastal areas, and year-round pest activity. The inland West has fewer pest species overall but bark scorpions in southern Utah and Nevada.

Dampwood

Termite species unique to Pacific Northwest

Drywood termites common in coastal CA

Low

Overall pest diversity vs. Southeast

Hobo

Hobo spiders common in WA and OR

Top Pests in the Northwest & West

📅 Active: August–October

Only infests wood with high moisture content. Finding dampwood termites means you have a moisture problem. Fix the leak — the termites follow. Common in WA, OR, northern CA.

Dampwood Termite

Zootermopsis nevadensis

Moisture Indicator

Extreme DIY Difficulty

Seattle is consistently in the top 20 most bed-bug-infested cities. Dense urban housing and high tourism drive spread. Heat treatment is standard.

Dominates California and spreading north into OR and WA. Forms "supercolonies" — millions of ants, multiple queens. Bait is the only effective treatment; sprays cause budding.

Year-round problem in urban WA, OR, CA. Same gel bait protocol applies nationwide — no regional variation in treatment approach.

Pacific Northwest specialty. Like dampwood termites, presence indicates a moisture or wood decay problem. Fix the moisture source first — ants and termites follow.