Dealing with pests in Oakdale, LA?
Oakdale's pest pressure runs on the piney woods that built the town in the first place. The Oakdale Lumber Company's sawmill, built here in 1900, turned this stretch of Allen Parish into one of the South's largest lumber shipping centers within a few years, and the pine and hardwood forest that made that boom possible still surrounds town today. That forest cover holds enough moisture for termite and carpenter ant colonies even in Oakdale's faster-draining, sandier soil, brings deer and ticks close to yards backing onto the treeline, and left behind a century of wood-frame homes and outbuildings that carry real termite and carpenter ant exposure.
What pests are you likely to see in Oakdale?
Oakdale grew almost overnight after the Oakdale Lumber Company built a sawmill just north of town in 1900, and within a few years the town's mills were shipping tens of millions of board feet of pine lumber annually, making it one of the largest lumber shipping centers in the South. Timber built the town, and today two federal correctional institutions are among Allen Parish's largest employers.
- Native subterranean termites. Swarm in spring. Oakdale's sandy piney-woods soil drains faster than delta clay, but a century of sawmill activity left plenty of old stumps and buried wood debris around town that still hold termite colonies close to homes.
- Carpenter ants. Year-round, most visible spring through summer. Oakdale grew up around sawmills after 1900, and many of the town's older wood-frame homes and outbuildings sit close enough to the pine treeline that carpenter ants move in easily wherever wood holds moisture or damage.
- Ticks. Spring through fall. The pine and hardwood forest surrounding Oakdale supports a healthy white-tailed deer population, and ticks travel with that wildlife into yards that back up to the treeline.
- Fire ants. Year-round, mounds peak spring through summer. Cleared land near Oakdale's old timber tracts gives fire ants open, undisturbed ground to colonize, and mounds here tend to run through both residential yards and former mill sites.
- Cockroaches. Year-round. Oakdale's older housing stock, much of it built during the sawmill boom of the early 1900s, gives cockroaches easy entry through aging foundations and plumbing.
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Oakdale owes its existence to the timber boom that swept this part of Louisiana in the early 1900s. The Oakdale Lumber Company built a mill just north of town in 1900, and within a few years the town's mills were shipping tens of millions of board feet of lumber a year, making Oakdale one of the largest lumber shipping centers in the South. That history left behind a town built largely of wood, much of it now a century old.
Many of Oakdale's older homes and outbuildings date to the sawmill boom, and they often sit close enough to the surrounding pine forest that carpenter ants move between the two easily. Carpenter ants look for wood that holds moisture, whether from a roof leak, a damaged sill, or ground contact near the treeline, and Oakdale's mix of old construction and forest edge gives them plenty of options.
The pine and hardwood woods around Oakdale support a healthy population of white-tailed deer and other wildlife, and ticks travel with them into yards that back onto the treeline. Spring through fall is the highest-risk period, and anyone spending time in or near the forest edge around town should check for ticks after being outside.
Allen Parish's soil drains faster than the heavy clay found in the Mississippi Delta parishes to the north, which keeps some moisture-driven pest pressure lower here than in wetter parts of the state. But a century of sawmill activity left behind old stumps and buried wood debris throughout the area around Oakdale, and native subterranean termites still find plenty of moisture and food in that leftover wood close to homes.
How do you keep pests out?
- →Schedule a termite inspection for older Oakdale homes near the treeline, since a century of leftover sawmill-era wood debris still supports termite colonies nearby.
- →Fix roof leaks and damaged wood promptly, since carpenter ants seek out moisture-damaged wood in older wood-frame construction.
- →Check for ticks after spending time near the forest edge, especially spring through fall when deer activity is highest.
- →Treat fire ant mounds early each spring on yards near cleared timber tracts or former mill sites.
What should Oakdale pest control cost?
Costs vary by property age, size, and infestation severity. PestRemovalUSA offers a free inspection and written estimate before any work begins in Oakdale.
Why does Oakdale have so much carpenter ant activity in older homes?
Oakdale grew up around sawmills after 1900, and much of its housing stock is a century old and sits close to the pine forest that surrounds town, giving carpenter ants easy access to any wood that holds moisture or damage.
Are ticks a bigger concern in Oakdale than other Louisiana towns?
The dense pine and hardwood forest around Oakdale supports a healthy deer population, and ticks travel with that wildlife into yards backing onto the treeline, so tick exposure tends to run higher here than in towns with less forest cover nearby.
Why does Oakdale still have termite pressure if the soil drains fast?
Allen Parish's sandy soil does drain faster than the clay found in delta parishes further north, but a century of sawmill activity left old stumps and buried wood debris scattered around Oakdale, and native subterranean termites still use that leftover wood as a food source close to homes.
What made Oakdale grow so quickly in the early 1900s?
The Oakdale Lumber Company built a sawmill just north of town in 1900, and within a few years Oakdale's mills were shipping tens of millions of board feet of lumber annually, making the town one of the largest lumber shipping centers in the South at the time.
What should you do next?
Book a free inspection and a local technician will confirm what you are dealing with.
Reviewed by Sandra Whitfield, Integrated Pest Management & Pesticide Safety Specialist, PestRemovalUSA