Guides for homeowners
The Pest Library: pest guides for Salt Lake homes
Short, sourced answers to the questions we hear on the phone. What the bug is, whether it matters and what you can do before you call.
Edited by Alvin Fairbanks, Pest Control Guides Editor
Updated September 2026
All articles
17 guides, written for Utah homes
Every article cites its sources, from USU Extension to the county health department.
Hobo spider or black widow? Telling Utah house spiders apart
Which spider in the window well actually matters, and what to do about each.
Read the articleArticle 02Why boxelder bugs cover south walls every September
What draws them to sunny siding, and how to keep them from wintering indoors.
Read the articleArticle 03Mice and the first freeze: sealing a Salt Lake home in October
The gaps mice use when nights drop toward freezing, room by room.
Read the articleArticle 04Vole runways after snowmelt: reading a damaged lawn
What those trails in the grass mean, and when the damage is worth treating.
Read the articleArticle 05Cleaning up mouse droppings safely in Utah
Why you never sweep or vacuum droppings, and the wet-cleanup method that is safer.
Read the articleArticle 06West Nile season in Salt Lake County: a homeowner's checklist
Standing water, timing and what the abatement districts do and don't cover.
Read the articleArticle 07Termite swarmers or flying ants? A spring identification guide
Wings, waists and antennae: telling the two apart before you panic.
Read the articleArticle 08Bed bug heat treatment vs chemical treatment
How each method works, how long it takes and how to prepare a room.
Read the articleArticle 09What pest control costs in Salt Lake City
Published price ranges for common jobs, and what moves a quote up or down.
Read the articleArticle 10Wasp, hornet and yellowjacket nests: Utah's late-summer season
Where each one builds, which to leave and which need a pro.
Read the articleArticle 11Quarterly pest plan or one-time treatment?
How to decide which fits your home, your pests and your budget.
Read the articleArticle 12Window wells: the Salt Lake basement's pest doorway
Spiders, earwigs and mice all use them. Covers, drainage and cleanup that help.
Read the articleArticle 13Elm seed bugs: Utah's mid-summer house invader
Why red and black bugs pour onto hot walls in July, and how to keep them out.
Read the articleArticle 14Clover mites on the windowsill: what they are and how to stop them
Tiny red mites by the thousand in spring, and the lawn-edge fix that works.
Read the articleArticle 15A month-by-month pest calendar for Salt Lake homes
What shows up each month, from voles at snowmelt to mice at the first freeze.
Read the articleArticle 16Which spiders live in Utah homes? A quick field guide
The spiders you'll actually meet indoors, and the one that matters.
Read the articleArticle 17Do new-build homes in Utah need pest control?
New houses next to fields get their own pests. Here's what to expect the first year.
Read the articleAbout the editor
Who writes these guides
The Pest Library is edited by Alvin Fairbanks, our pest control guides editor. Each article starts from the questions homeowners ask us on the phone and is checked against published sources, mainly Utah State University Extension, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, county health departments and the mosquito abatement districts.
Where an article gives a price, it comes from a published cost guide and is labeled as a market range, not a quote. Where it gives a number about Utah pests, the source is linked at the bottom of the article.
Editorial notes
- Written for Salt Lake Valley and northern Wasatch Front homes
- Sources linked in every article
- Updated as local data changes
- No product endorsements
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