Pest & Weed Library

Harvester Ants

Pogonomyrmex spp.

Moderate Risk

Large seed-collecting ants common in Utah open spaces — known for painful stings and prominent bare-ground mounds.

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Ghost Ants

Tapinoma melanocephalum

Low Risk

Tiny Florida kitchen ants with a dark head and ghostly pale body — one of the most common indoor ant pests in Central Florida.

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Carpenter Ants

Camponotus spp.

Moderate Risk

Large wood-excavating ants that can cause significant structural damage by hollowing out softened or rotting wood.

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Mosquitoes

Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles spp.

Moderate Risk

Year-round pest in Florida, seasonal in Utah. Breeding prevention is the key to control.

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Earwigs

Forficula auricularia

Low Risk

Those pincered insects hiding in your garden mulch and damp areas. Creepy but mostly harmless.

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Box Elder Bugs

Boisea trivittata

Low Risk

Harmless but annoying — they cluster on sunny walls by the hundreds every fall in Utah.

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Spotted Spurge

Euphorbia maculata

Low Risk

A fast-spreading prostrate weed that forms dense mats across patios, driveways, and landscaping.

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Russian Thistle (Tumbleweed)

Salsola tragus

Low Risk

The iconic tumbleweed — a single plant can produce up to 250,000 seeds.

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Puncturevine (Goatheads)

Tribulus terrestris

Moderate Risk

Utah's most hated weed — painful spiny seeds that puncture tires, shoes, and bare feet.

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Palmetto Bug (American Cockroach)

Periplaneta americana

Low Risk

Florida's notorious large cockroach — they fly, they're fast, and they love your bathroom.

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Roof Rats

Rattus rattus

Moderate Risk

Florida's most common rat — excellent climbers that nest in attics, palm trees, and dense vegetation.

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Subterranean Termites

Reticulitermes spp.

High Risk

The primary termite species in both Utah and Florida — responsible for billions in damage annually.

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