Desert Pest Control Guide for El Paso Homes

People move here and assume a desert means fewer bugs. Then June comes. El Paso is in the Chihuahuan Desert, the air is dry and the summers are hot, and plenty of pests do just fine anyway. A lot of them hang around houses for one reason: houses have what the desert doesn't. Shade, food, and above all, water.

If you remember one rule from this page, make it this one. Out here, water draws pests. A leaky drip emitter, a dripping swamp cooler or an overwatered flower bed can bring in termites, roaches, crickets and the scorpions that eat them. Fix leaks, water early in the morning so the ground dries out, check the cooler drain, and keep sprinklers off the house walls. That alone does more than most people expect.

The ones that sting: scorpions, harvester ants and black widows

The striped bark scorpion is the one most homeowners meet. It climbs walls, hides under rocks and comes out at night, and rock landscaping and block walls suit it perfectly. Seal gaps, pull rock beds back from the house and cut down the crickets it eats. The full list is in how to keep scorpions out of your home, and when sightings keep up, scorpion control in El Paso combines sealing with treatment.

Harvester ants build big cleared circles in gravel yards and give a painful sting. Keep kids and dogs away from the mounds and let a pro treat them. The smaller ants trailing into the kitchen in July are usually after water, so fix the drip under the sink before you reach for the spray.

Black widows like dark, undisturbed places: weep holes, garage corners, meter boxes and under the patio furniture. Wear gloves when you reach into those spots, knock down webs with a broom, and shake out gloves and boots stored in the garage. A bite can cause pain and muscle cramps, so call a doctor or poison control at 1-800-222-1222 if it happens.

Roaches, crickets and the storm drain crowd

Three roaches show up most. German roaches live indoors by the kitchen and bathroom and rarely go away with sprays; a roach exterminator who uses gel baits and follow-ups is the usual fix. American roaches come up from the drains, especially after storms. Turkestan roaches live outside in meter boxes, compost and cracks in concrete.

Crickets don't bite and don't do much damage, but here they matter for one reason: scorpions eat them. Field crickets pile up at porch lights in late summer, and camel crickets hide in damp garages and laundry rooms. Yellow bulbs, tight door sweeps and dry ground along the foundation cut the numbers, and fewer crickets at the door means fewer scorpions hunting there.

Termites and rodents, the quiet damage

Subterranean termites live in El Paso soil and need moisture, so they look for damp spots near leaks, cooler lines and irrigation. Mud tubes on the slab edge are the thing to watch for. Homes on damp ground near the river, like the Lower Valley's canal neighborhoods, see more of them, and a termite inspection is the only way to know for sure.

House mice and rats move into garages and attics when the nights cool off, and pack rats build stick nests next to open desert lots. Seal gaps, trim branches off the roof, and use only locked bait stations placed by a pro. Clean droppings wet, with gloves and disinfectant, never by sweeping. Orchard country like Canutillo, where pecans draw mice, gets a wave of calls every fall, and mouse and rat control means trapping, sealing and checking back.

Bed bugs and German roaches don't care about the heat

Some pests ignore the desert completely. Bed bugs live where people sleep and ride in luggage, used furniture and moving boxes. German roaches live next to the fridge and the dishwasher, where it's never dry. Both show up most in apartments and rentals, since people move in and out so often, and neighborhoods full of complexes like the Eastside along Zaragoza Rd. see plenty. Check secondhand furniture with a flashlight before it comes inside, and don't wait on either one.

See also: General Pest Control, Scorpion Control, Termite Control