The Usual Outdoor Suspects

While most pest control professionals are familiar with the common outdoor pests, ranking the top three proves difficult due to regional variation. Pest pressure and types differ significantly by location, making it nearly impossible to create a universal list.

The State of the Outdoors Market Report highlights this inconsistency. When surveyed, 52% of respondents identified nuisance ants (excluding fire ants) as the top pest based on customer calls — indicating that just over half agree on the leading concern. This lack of consensus is largely due to geographic differences.

For example, Aaron Veal, owner/operator of Phoenix Pest Control, Maryville, Tenn., listed his top three pests as spiders, ants and boxelder bugs. He said that effective pest control involves both action and education.

“We’re half ‘killers’ and half educators,” Veal said. “Many companies overload technicians with 13-14 stops a day, leaving no time for thorough service. We take the time to investigate conditions, seal gaps and educate clients — even sending follow-up videos to reinforce the information.”

Veal stressed the importance of outdoor treatments. “That’s where the bugs are coming from. Services should focus on the exterior. Why treat the inside if you don’t have to?”

TOP OFFENDERS.

Survey results revealed that, following nuisance ants, rats/mice and spiders round out the top three most-reported pests. Interestingly, rodents were a top concern for 77% of professionals in the western U.S., while only 27% in the South considered them a priority. In the South, mosquitoes and fire ants were cited as frequently —or more often — than rodents, reflecting distinct regional pest pressures. Rounding out the top five pests were hornets/wasps and mosquitoes, each selected by 30% of respondents. Again, regional differences were significant: 59% of pest management professionals in the Northeast ranked hornets as a major issue, compared to just 17% in the West. Mosquitoes were considered more problematic in the Midwest and South than in the Northeast or West.

Andy Nieves, vice president of BHB Pest Elimination, New York, N.Y., listed ants, yellowjackets and crickets as his top three pests. He stressed the importance of a thorough inspection before any treatment begins.

“We walk around the home first, checking for toys or anything leaning against the structure,” Nieves said. “That’s often when we find crickets, ants or wasp nests. We also check outdoor bait stations. If there are rodent stations, we’ll clean and refill them.”

BHB service professionals also focus on areas where spiders may be active. “We look for webs, check trash bins and treat up to three feet around doorways and about a foot out from the structure,” Nieves said. “Sometimes we’ll treat the trash can itself. The goal is to stop pests before they get inside. Once they’re in, it’s harder. Outside, you can seal gaps with caulk to keep ants and rodents out in the first place.”

OTHER PROBLEM PESTS.

Survey respondents identified several other pests as top concerns: termites and occasional invaders (such as silverfish, centipedes, Asian lady beetles and scorpions) each were cited by 20%. Peridomestic cockroaches were cited by 16%. Fire ants followed at 13%, fleas at 11% and ticks and flies at less than 10%.

Fire ants illustrate the strong regional differences in pest pressure — 27% of pest management professionals in the South ranked them as a top pest, while they received no mention in other regions. Billy Blasingame, owner of Blasingame Pest Management, Griffin, Ga., is one such Southern PMP who ranked fire ants as his second most significant pest. “With fire ants, customers want immediate results so they don’t see mounds popping up in their yards,” he said.