Franklin County's landscape — the Meramec River valley on the north, the rolling Ozark plateau terrain of the interior, and the Missouri River on the south — creates a diverse pest environment. Subterranean termite pressure is significant throughout the county due to the consistent moisture conditions of the river corridors and the aging housing stock of many communities. Carpenter ant activity from the mature hardwood canopy, tick pressure from the deer populations sustained by the county's extensive woodland, and seasonal mosquito pressure from the creek and river network are the dominant pest concerns for rural Franklin County homeowners.