Pest guides for Belleville homeowners

Short, practical guides to the pest questions Belleville homeowners ask us most. How to tell termite damage from rot, whether that spider is a recluse, why the ants keep coming back, and what the noise in the attic probably is. Written by our guides editor, Darlene Pemberton.

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Written for Metro East homes
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Updated as the crews learn

Homeowner reading a pest guide at the kitchen table — Homeowner helpBelleville, IL

The short answer

These guides help you figure out what you are dealing with before you spend anything. Each one ends with what to do next, and if you would rather skip the reading, a call gets the same answers from a technician.

2 guides

Termites & wood

Telling termites from rot, and what spring swarms mean.

Termite damage or wood rot? How to tell the difference
Soft sill plate or crumbling joist? How to tell subterranean termite damage from wood rot, what each looks like, and which one needs a call first.
7 minute read
Termite swarm season in southern Illinois: what March through May means
What a spring termite swarm means for a southern Illinois home, how to tell swarmers from flying ants, and what to do in the first 24 hours.
6 minute read

6 guides

Insects & spiders

Ants, recluses, bed bugs, wasps, pantry moths and mosquitoes.

Brown recluse or harmless house spider? An ID guide for Belleville homes
How to tell a brown recluse from the harmless spiders that get mistaken for it, using the eyes, legs and markings, plus what to do if it is one.
6 minute read
Why ants keep coming back after you spray
Why the ant trail returns days after you spray, what odorous house ants do when disturbed, and the baiting approach that actually ends the colony.
6 minute read
Early signs of bed bugs most people miss
The early signs of bed bugs that are easy to overlook: tiny spots on seams, shed skins, eggs, and bite patterns, plus a five-minute check you can do.
6 minute read
Mosquito season in the Metro East: when it starts and when it peaks
When mosquito season starts and peaks in the Metro East, which mosquitoes are biting when, and the yard habits that cut bites through October.
6 minute read
A wasp nest in the soffit: what to do and what to skip
Found a wasp nest in the soffit or eaves? How to identify it, when it is safe to wait, and the common mistakes that make it worse.
5 minute read
Pantry moths: how an infestation starts and how it ends
How pantry moths get into the kitchen, why they keep coming back after cleaning, and the step-by-step way to find the source and end it.
5 minute read

3 guides

Rodents & wildlife

Droppings, attic noises and the gaps old houses leave open.

What mouse droppings tell you about the size of the problem
How to read mouse and rat droppings: size, shape, age and location, what they say about how big the problem is, and how to clean them up safely.
6 minute read
Pest entry points in pre-1940 brick homes
Where mice, insects and wildlife get into pre-1940 brick homes like Belleville's historic houses, and which gaps to check first each fall.
7 minute read
Noises in the attic: a homeowner's guide to figuring out what moved in
Scratching, scampering or thumping overhead? How to identify mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons, bats and birds by sound, timing and evidence.
7 minute read

2 guides

Planning ahead

What pest control costs and what each season brings.

How much does pest control cost in Belleville, IL?
What pest control, termite, bed bug and rodent work typically costs, based on published national ranges, and what moves a Belleville quote up or down.
7 minute read
A month-by-month pest calendar for the Metro East
Which pests show up when around Belleville and the Metro East, from winter mice and spring termite swarms to summer mosquitoes and fall invaders.
7 minute read

About the author

Darlene Pemberton is the pest control guides editor at Belleville Pest Control. She writes and maintains these homeowner guides from the field notes our technicians bring back from jobs across Belleville and the Metro East, and every guide is checked against what the crews actually see in local homes.

One call does it

Questions the guides do not answer?

Call any hour and describe what you are seeing; a technician will walk you through it.

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