5 Spooky Facts About the Scariest Pests

Spooky season is here! Are you ready to be haunted?

As a pest control company, we get plenty of calls about creepy crawlies on a daily basis. In the spirit of scare, we’re giving you five frightening facts about pests we often treat at HomeTeam – get ready for goosebumps!

#1 Spiders elicit screams from most people, no matter how harmless the species, but the poisonous ones always give us more of a scare. Shockingly, female red widows EAT their male partners! Apparently, the males go willingly and place themselves into the female’s mandibles. Even more bone-chilling? Scientists have not determined why exactly this occurs.

#2 Cockroaches are undoubtably some of the most disgusting pests out there, ranked that way by 79% of homeowners⁺. And, they’re about to get even grosser. While you’ve probably heard the theory that cockroaches are the most likely to survive a nuclear event, what about surviving without their heads? That’s right, headless roaches can live for weeks. Since they don’t have a network of blood vessels like we do, their necks simply seal off and they continue to breathe through little holes on their body segments. *Shudder*

#3 Scorpions were among the first marine creatures to move onto dry land, and millions of years later, they’re still kicking! These arachnids (not insects) are especially recognized for their stingers, which produce venom with dozens of toxins. That’s right, dozens. A single scorpion can release venom that includes eurotoxins, cardiotoxins, nephrotoxins, and hemolytic toxins, as well as a wide variety of other chemicals. Don’t head for the hills yet! Of 1,500 known species of scorpions, only about 2% are capable of killing humans.

#4 Spiders are EVERYWHERE. With tens of thousands of known species, it’s not hard to believe they reside on every continent besides Antarctica. You’re not safe in water or space, either. NASA has proven that spiders can survive in space, and a species of spider known as the diving bell spider lives almost entirely underwater. Ready for the most hair-raising part? Researchers from the Department of Entomology at North Carolina State University concluded that 75% of homes have spiders in bedrooms.

#5 We couldn’t help but throw in another roach fact. Come on, these pests are scary! And, they’re also crazy good escape artists. Cockroaches can run up to three miles per hour, and their legs can move 27 times a second. They also see you coming from a mile away – roaches have eyes on their tops of their heads, which gives them a 360-degree view. They even have the ability to see multiple images at once.

You might want to lock all your doors and windows after learning all that! If you spot one of these creepy crawlies in your home and need a trustworthy exterminator, don’t get spooked – we can help. Request a quote or call 855-855-4873 and one of our pest control professionals will work with you to address your needs.

⁺2012 National Survey of Homeowners, HomeTeam Pest Defense