Trusted Pest Control in Cushing, OK
Cushing is known nationally as the Pipeline Crossroads of the World and has been the official delivery point for NYMEX light sweet crude futures since 1983, giving the town an outsized role in national oil pricing relative to its population of roughly 8,300. On November 7, 2016, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck near Cushing and significantly damaged the historic downtown, where unreinforced masonry buildings dating to around 1900 sustained cracked walls, partial collapses, and facade damage. Recovery has been slow, and a number of buildings in the historic business district remain demolished or unrepaired years later.
Cushing carries more weight in the national oil market than a town of roughly 8,300 people usually would, having served as the official NYMEX delivery point for light sweet crude since 1983 and earned the nickname Pipeline Crossroads of the World. Its historic downtown, though, tells a different story. On November 7, 2016, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck near the city and did serious damage to the unreinforced masonry buildings that make up the business district, most of them built around 1900. Recovery from that quake has been slow, and some of those downtown storefronts remain demolished or unrepaired years on. That combination, century-old construction and unresolved earthquake damage, is what shapes pest pressure in Cushing today. Cracked masonry and damaged wood framing let in moisture that draws carpenter ants, unrepaired vacant storefronts give cockroaches and mice easier conditions than an occupied building would, and the age of the construction itself carries the termite exposure common to any Oklahoma town this old.
The pests active around Cushing
Cushing's historic downtown, built largely around 1900, still has buildings damaged in the November 2016 magnitude 5.0 earthquake that have not been fully repaired, and that kind of long-term vacancy and structural damage gives German cockroaches steady indoor conditions.
The same earthquake-cracked masonry and unrepaired storefronts downtown give mice easy entry points once cooler fall weather sends them looking for shelter.
Cushing's downtown buildings, many dating to around 1900, carry more than a century of accumulated termite exposure typical of unreinforced masonry and wood-frame construction from that era.
Earthquake-cracked masonry and wood framing downtown let moisture into wall cavities more easily than intact construction would, and that moisture is exactly what draws carpenter ants looking for a place to nest.
How did the 2016 earthquake change pest pressure in downtown Cushing?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck near Cushing on November 7, 2016 damaged the unreinforced masonry buildings common in the historic downtown, most of them built around 1900. Years later, some of those storefronts remain demolished or unrepaired, and buildings left in that condition give cockroaches and mice far easier entry and harborage than an intact, actively used building would. Property owners downtown often need more frequent pest service than a comparable newer building elsewhere in Payne County.
Why do carpenter ants show up in Cushing's older downtown buildings?
Cracked masonry and damaged wood framing left over from the 2016 earthquake let moisture into wall cavities more easily than intact construction would, and carpenter ants are drawn to exactly that kind of persistent moisture when they are looking for a place to nest. Combined with the general age of downtown Cushing's roughly 1900-era construction, this gives carpenter ants and subterranean termites more opportunity than a newer building would offer.
Does Cushing's role as an oil pipeline hub affect its pest control needs?
Not directly, but the town's outsized industrial role means its historic downtown and surrounding residential streets are older than the population alone would suggest, since Cushing grew up around the pipeline and storage infrastructure that made it the Pipeline Crossroads of the World rather than around steady population growth. That leaves a housing and commercial stock weighted toward older construction, which is what drives the termite and carpenter ant pressure typical of a Payne County town this age.
How to prevent pests in Cushing
- Have downtown storefronts, especially any still showing 2016 earthquake damage, checked for cockroach and mice entry points.
- Repair cracked masonry and damaged wood framing promptly to cut off the moisture that draws carpenter ants.
- Schedule a termite inspection for any building in Cushing's historic core built around 1900.
- Seal gaps in foundations and storefronts before fall to reduce mouse entry.
- Ask about a recurring commercial pest plan for vacant or lightly used downtown buildings.
Questions from Cushing homeowners
Did the 2016 Cushing earthquake affect pest problems downtown?
Yes, indirectly. The magnitude 5.0 earthquake on November 7, 2016 damaged unreinforced masonry buildings in Cushing's historic downtown, and some of those storefronts remain unrepaired years later, giving cockroaches and mice easier entry and harborage than an intact building would.
Why are carpenter ants a concern in Cushing's older buildings?
Cracked masonry and damaged wood framing, much of it tied to the 2016 earthquake, let moisture into wall cavities more easily than intact construction, and that moisture is what draws carpenter ants looking for a nesting site in Cushing's roughly 1900-era downtown.
Is Cushing's pest pressure related to its oil pipeline industry?
Not directly. Cushing is known as the Pipeline Crossroads of the World and has been the NYMEX delivery point for light sweet crude since 1983, but the pest pressure in town comes from the age of its historic downtown and the damage that 2016 earthquake left behind, not from the pipeline infrastructure itself.
Reviewed by James Cole, Service Operations Manager, PestRemovalUSA, PestRemovalUSA