Protecting your Fort Worth from pests.
General Pest Co — licensed, local, thorough.

Common Pests in Fort Worth

From the humid summers that bring swarming termites to the cooler months when rodents seek shelter, Fort Worth faces a unique set of pest challenges. We want to help you understand what you are dealing with so you can take the right steps to protect your home or business.

Knowing the specific signs of an infestation is the first line of defense. Below, we break down the most common pests in our area, how to spot them, and why professional intervention is often the only way to get a permanent solution.

Ants

Fort Worth is home to several types of ants, including aggressive fire ants, destructive carpenter ants, and the common sugar ants that wander into kitchens. While a few ants might seem like a minor annoyance, a trail usually indicates a large colony working just out of sight.

Identification: Look for small, dark trails along baseboards or distinct mounds of dirt in your yard for fire ants.

Risks: Carpenter ants can cause significant structural damage by hollowing out wood, while fire ants deliver painful stings that can be dangerous to pets and children.

Why Call Us: Most over-the-counter sprays only kill the workers you see, leaving the queen and the rest of the colony to multiply rapidly.

Cockroaches

German and American cockroaches are notorious for thriving in the warmth of Texas homes. They are elusive creatures that often hide in cracks, behind appliances, and inside wall voids during the day.

Identification: Look for small, brownish insects with long antennae, or find dark, pepper-like droppings in cabinets and under sinks.

Risks: Roaches are a major health hazard, carrying bacteria and triggering asthma attacks, especially in children.

Why Call Us: Roaches reproduce incredibly fast and develop resistance to common poisons quickly. We use targeted baiting strategies to eliminate the entire nest, not just the stragglers.

Spiders

While many spiders in Fort Worth are harmless, others like the black widow and brown recluse pose serious health risks. You might also encounter large wolf spiders that, while not venomous to humans, can be intimidating.

Identification: Spiders are often found in garages, basements, and undisturbed corners. Look for irregular webs or the distinctive hourglass marking on black widows.

Risks: A bite from a venomous spider can cause severe pain, tissue necrosis, or systemic illness requiring medical attention.

Why Call Us: We focus on exclusion work to seal entry points and apply perimeter treatments that create a protective barrier around your property.

Termites

Subterranean termites are the silent destroyers of the DFW area, capable of compromising the structural integrity of your home before you even notice them. They travel through mud tubes to reach wood structures.

Identification: Check for mud tubes on foundation walls, hollow-sounding wood, or piles of wings near windowsills after a rainstorm.

Risks: The damage caused by termites is often more expensive to repair than a fire, and it can drastically lower your property value.

Why Call Us: DIY solutions cannot reach the colony deep in the soil. We offer comprehensive termite inspections and long-term bait systems designed to eradicate the source.

Rodents

As the weather cools in the fall, mice and rats look for warmth and food inside your home. They are highly adaptable and can squeeze through openings as small as a dime.

Identification: Look for gnaw marks on wires, greasy rub marks along walls, and distinct droppings in pantry areas or garages.

Risks: Rodents chew through electrical wiring, creating a fire hazard, and they carry diseases like Hantavirus and Salmonella.

Why Call Us: Trapping is often a temporary fix. We use integrated pest management to exclude them by sealing entry points and removing attractants.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are a major nuisance during the hot Texas summers, turning your backyard into an unusable space. They breed in standing