Most homeowners feel accustomed to seeing roaches, mice and squirrels around their home but other creatures may seem otherworldly. Many pests do not originate in the United States. Still, what may seem like just an annoyance to you can have huge implications for our ecosystem. As reported by Pest Control Technology magazine, these invasive species cost the U.S. about $120 billion a year.
Though you may know to call our technicians when you see an unfamiliar pest, you may not know how the pest got here.
One culprit is the live plant trade. The importation of non-native plants has brought about 70% of the most damaging insects and diseases with it. One imported plant that plagues the Southeast is kudzu and with it, kudzu bugs. These tiny brown bugs feed of the kudzu and multiply just as far and fast as the plant does. Though kudzu may not be going anywhere, our technicians can take care of these little plant feeders.
When you hear of pests traveling to the United States, you may not realize they travel the same way we do! Pests travel into ports on international boats, get into luggage on flights around the world and hitch a ride on the interstate, cutting a trip that used to take them thousands of years down to less than twelve hours.
Other troublesome invasive pests are mosquitoes that carry the West Nile Virus. As the name suggests, these bugs have come all the way from Africa! These particular mosquitoes breed with native mosquitoes and continue to spread the disease because conditions and climates, especially in the South are favorable to them.
Your Northwest Exterminating service representative can take care of these pest as well as many others, leaving you free from worry about potential risk factors. Keep in mind that the very nature of many of these pests, both native and non-native, leaves them somewhat resilient to permanent elimination. That said, your service representative will likely have to return the next season. Luckily, we at Northwest emphasize “Customers for Life” and hope to establish a relationship that will make return visits a rewarding experience.
Melissa Brown
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