Know your pests Specimen drawer
The East Texas pest library.
Every pest we treat, grouped by category, with a one-sentence field ID and a link to the full guide. Not sure what you're seeing? Start here.
Group 01
Treatment for termites Termites
The most damaging pests in East Texas. Different species show different signs — get the ID right before you treat.
Eastern subterranean termite Native soil-nesting termite that travels into your home through pencil-width mud tubes on foundations and slabs — the most common termite in East Texas.
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Formosan subterranean termite Invasive, super-sized cousin of the native subterranean — colonies are many times larger and can do major damage fast. Established across the Gulf South, including East Texas.
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Drywood termite Lives entirely inside dry wood — attic framing, trim, hardwood floors — with no soil contact required. Signature: piles of pellet-like frass under tiny pinholes.
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Termite swarmers (alates) Winged reproductive termites that fly off to start new colonies, usually in spring. Piles of identical discarded wings on window sills = classic warning sign.
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Group 02
Treatment for ants Ants
East Texas has more ant species than any homeowner should have to memorize — but a few habits narrow it down fast.
Red imported fire ant The stinging yard ant every Texan knows. Loose, dome-shaped mounds in open lawn; colonies extend several feet underground and relocate when the mound is disturbed.
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Ghost / odorous house ant Tiny (2–3 mm), pale or dark, in trailing lines across kitchen counters — the most common indoor ant complaint across Lufkin and Nacogdoches homes.
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Carpenter ant Big (8–15 mm), all-black or reddish-black ants seen on siding or trim at night. They excavate wood (they don't eat it) — moisture-damaged wood attracts them.
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Crazy / big-headed ant Fast-moving outdoor trails along foundation cracks and irrigation lines; the workers dominate landscaping and displace native ants.
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Group 03
Treatment for rodents Rodents
The animal in your attic isn't a mystery — droppings, sounds and where they're active narrow it down.
Roof rat The big attic runner across Lufkin, Nacogdoches and the surrounding Piney Woods — long tail, sleek, agile climber. Heavy overhead running noises at dusk, larger dark droppings.
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Norway rat Bulkier, ground-nesting rat found around dumpsters, sheds and creek edges — burrows in yards rather than climbing into attics.
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House mouse Small, quick, rice-grain droppings, gnaw marks along baseboards and pantry packaging. Fits through a hole the size of a dime.
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Group 04
Treatment for mosquitoes Mosquitoes
East Texas' warm, humid climate means mosquito season runs long. Two categories matter for treatment: adult biters and larvae in standing water.
Asian tiger mosquito Aggressive day-biter with distinct black-and-white striped legs. Breeds in the tiniest containers — a bottle cap of standing water is enough.
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Southern house mosquito The dusk-and-dawn biter that hums near your ear. Prefers larger stagnant water sources like clogged gutters and forgotten kiddie pools.
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Mosquito larvae The wriggling stage in standing water — where treatment stops the next generation of biters before they hatch.
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Group 05
Treatment for cockroaches Cockroaches
The big outdoor American 'tree roaches' and the small indoor German cockroaches are two completely different problems — different biology, different treatment.
American cockroach (tree roach) The 1.5-inch reddish-brown roach seen outdoors, in garages and after rain. Outdoor wanderer, not an indoor breeder.
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German cockroach Small (12–15 mm), tan with two dark stripes on the pronotum. Breeds indoors — a daytime sighting usually means an established population, not a stray.
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Smokybrown cockroach Dark chestnut brown, flies to lights, common in attics and eaves. Loves organic mulch, pine straw and leaf-choked gutters.
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Oriental cockroach Glossy, nearly black roach found in damp crawl spaces, drains and utility rooms — slower than the others and strongly tied to moisture.
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Group 06
Treatment for bed bugs Bed Bugs
One of our headline services for a reason — bed bugs hide in seams, cracks and outlets, and they spread fast between rooms.
Bed bug (adult) Apple-seed-sized, flat, reddish-brown insect in mattress seams, box-spring corners and headboard joints. Rust-colored spotting on sheets is the classic tell.
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Bed bug eggs & nymphs Pinhead-white eggs and pale, translucent nymphs tucked into cracks near sleeping areas — the life stages a DIY spray misses and a professional treatment doesn't.
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Group 07
Treatment for wasps, bees & stinging insects Wasps, Bees & Stinging Insects
Anything that stings deserves careful ID — some are protected pollinators worth relocating, others are aggressive nesters that need to go.
Paper wasp Umbrella-shaped open combs under eaves, doorway soffits and grill covers. Defensive when the nest is disturbed but not aggressive at range.
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Yellowjacket Ground-nesting or wall-void wasp with a fast, aggressive defense response — a single nest can produce hundreds of workers by late summer.
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Mud dauber Solitary, non-aggressive wasp that builds long tubular mud nests on walls and eaves. Rarely a real problem — but the nests are unsightly.
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Honey bee (call before treating) Fuzzy, amber-and-black; makes waxy comb in wall voids or hollow trees. Pollinator status: contact a local beekeeper for relocation before any treatment.
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Group 08
Treatment for spiders Spiders
Almost every East Texas spider is harmless. Two aren't — and Spot On flags exactly those two so you can rule them out.
Brown recluse Tan with a violin-shaped mark on the back — a genuine East Texas resident that favors undisturbed closets, attics and storage boxes. Worth treating and clearing.
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Southern black widow Shiny black, red hourglass on the underside of the abdomen. Undisturbed corners of garages, sheds, meter boxes — medically significant, worth treating and clearing.
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Wolf spider Big, fast, hairy ground hunter that wanders indoors after rain — alarming to see but harmless and doesn't build webs indoors.
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Common house spider Small, dusty-gray, spins tangled webs in corners and closets. Nuisance only — usually cleared by exterior barrier + interior web sweeps.
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Group 09
Treatment for fleas & ticks Fleas & Ticks
Pets and Piney Woods yards make East Texas prime flea-and-tick country. Indoor flea coverage is built into every SPOTGuard plan.
Cat flea The flea on both dogs and cats. Bites cluster around ankles; pets scratch at the tail base. Yard + indoor treatment together is what breaks the cycle.
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Lone star tick Aggressive East Texas tick — the female wears a single white dot on her back. Questing in tall grass and brush at yard edges.
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Group 10
Treatment for other household pests Other Household Pests
The everyday cast — silverfish, earwigs, drain flies, occasional invaders. Most disappear behind a solid exterior barrier + interior spot treatment.
Silverfish Slender, tapered, silvery, quick — hides in bathrooms and around old paper storage where humidity is high.
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Earwig Small dark insect with prominent 'pincers' on the tail. Mostly outdoor scavenger; comes indoors after heavy rain.
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Drain fly Tiny, fuzzy, moth-like fly hovering around sinks and shower drains — breeding in the organic film inside the pipe. We offer dedicated drain fly removal.
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Not sure what you saw?
Half the ID work is describing behavior — where you saw it, how it moved, what it left behind. Try our short pest-ID decision tree, or just send us a clear photo with your quote request and we'll tell you what it is and whether it's a real problem.
Or browse by service
Home Pest Control Year-round protection against ants, roaches, spiders, fleas, ticks, wasps and more — inside and out. Termite Treatment Thorough inspection, targeted elimination and a colony elimination system that protects your biggest investment. Mosquito Control Knock down biting mosquitoes and stop them breeding so you can actually enjoy your Texas yard. Bed Bug Control Fast, thorough bed bug extermination that eliminates the infestation and keeps it from coming back. Rodent Control Get rats and mice out — and keep them out — with trapping, removal and exclusion. Commercial Pest Control Discreet, scheduled pest protection for East Texas businesses — on your timeline. Lawn & Ornamental TDA Category L certified lawn and ornamental care — fire-ant takedown, pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control across East Texas.
Spotted a pest?
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