Ants are social insects that live in colonies which are located in the ground, but may enter buildings for food and/or shelter. Ants feed on practically every kind of food, but those entering homes are looking for sweets and/or protein-containing substances. Ants are usually divided into two groups based on their typical nesting preferences, either wall-nesting or ground-nesting ants.
Ants consist of three body segments...the head, thorax and abdomen. They have a complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa and adult. They are social insects and the colonies contain 3 distinct castes: workers, queens and males.
There are about 20,000 species of bees worldwide. Bees are found throughout the world except at the highest altitudes, in polar regions and on some small oceanic islands. Bees are dependent on pollen as a protein source and on flower nectar or oils as an energy source. Only the female bee has the ability to sting and stings only for defense.
Bees are either solitary or communal nesters. Males play no part of the colonies organization and only mate with the queens. The 3 most common bees we come in contact with are the Honey Bee, Bumble Bee and the Carpenter Bee. The Honey Bee and Bumble Bee are a concern only as far as stinging goes. The female Carpenter Bee is also a wood destroying bee, so it is especially important that they be eliminated as they can cause hundreds of dollars in damage to a structure
Adult fleas are not only a nuisance to humans and pets, but can cause medical problems including flea allergy dermatitis, tape worms, secondary skin irritation and in extreme cases, anemia. Fleas have a complete life cycle consisting of egg, larva, pupa and adult. A typical population consists of 50% eggs, 35% larvae, 10% pupae, and 5% adult.
Typical hosts are dogs, cats, rats, rabbits, mice, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, oppossums, foxes, chickens and humans. Sand and gravel are very suitable for larval development which is the reason fleas are erroneously called "sand fleas." Adult fleas may survive without a blood meal for two months up to one year.
Control of fleas must involve treatment of the pet, home and yard, all in the same time period, in order to achieve optimum control. Although there are several species of fleas, control for all is the same.
Most spiders are small, inconspicuous Arthropods which are harmless to humans. Their beneficial role in keeping insect populations in check far outweighs the hazard posed by the few spiders that occasionally bite humans. Only two groups, the recluse spiders and widow spiders are considered poisonous to humans.
Many people have a phobia of spiders. However, knowing how to tell them apart, how to prevent them from entering your home, reduces the chances of harm to humans. Spiders are best controlled by eliminating the insects they feed on, and/or eliminating their webbing.
Most Roaches live in tropical climates. Even though there are several thousand kinds, only about 5 are commonly found in people's homes. Some species are found in the home when there are adverse weather conditions and they enter the home to escape those conditions. Other species are truely "infesting" roaches, usually brought into the home from an infested location, where they now establish themselves in your home.
Roaches are a medical concern as they can carry diseases. It has also just recently been proven that Roach dander can cause asthma, epecially in children.
Subterranean termites are the most common and economically important wood-destroying organisms in the United States. Termites feed on materials that contain cellulose, primarily dead wood and wood by-products.
Subterranean termites are social insects that live in colonies that may contain millions of individuals. Each colony contains three forms or castes, which are workers, soldiers, and reproductives. Large numbers of winged termites swarming from wood or soil often are the first obvious sign of a nearby termite colony
Chinch bug damage can be confused with certain lawn diseases or other physiological disorders. Brown patch is a common disease affecting the leaf blades of St. Augustine grass. Brown patch symptoms, however, usually occur in a circular or semi-circular pattern, as opposed to the irregular-shaped areas of dead and dying grass that result from chinch bug feeding. Chinch bug damage also can be difficult to distinguish from that caused by drought. Detection of significant numbers of the insects themselves is the best proof that chinch bugs are the cause of the damage.
Adult southern chinch bugs are small and slender, 1 /6 to 1 /5 of an inch long. They have black bodies with white wings. Each wing bears a distinctive, triangular black mark. Normally, some of the adults at any given site will have full-sized, functional wings, whereas other individuals will be short-winged and incapable of flight. Chinch bugs are found most readily in the weakened, yellowing grass around a dead spot in the lawn.
Mole Crickets are the number one pest of turf in a large area of the Gulf Coastal region and Eastern Seaboard. Their damage appears as brown spongy areas within normal green grass. Upon further inspection, you will see that the grass has been eaten just below the surface.
Earwigs are a nuisance when they invade homes. They are rarely harmful to man, but have large, pincher-like appendages called forceps. Earwigs have flattened bodies and can enter homes through very small cracks. Earwigs prefer high moisture and migrate indoors during periods of prolonged heat and drought to seek cool, moist hiding places. they do not reproduce indoors.
A few species cause some damage by feeding on crops and ornamental plaants but most play a beneficial role by feeding on other insects. Some species do omit a foul odor. They are attracted to lights and are sometimes found in great numbers under a strong light. During the winter they can dig into the ground as deep as six feet to escape the freezing temperatures.
Flies are one of the 4 largest groups of living organisms, with over 120,000 kinds. There are more known flies than vertebrates. Flies can be found all around the world with the exception of the artic and antartic icecaps. Flies can be broken down into two general categories; biting and non-biting
Mosquitoes and black flies are responsible for more human suffering and death than any other group of organisms except for the transmitted pathogens and man! Flies also destroy food, especially grains and fruits.
There are six species of moles in North America, and three of these may occur in your yard (Eastern Mole, Hairy-tailed Mole, and Star-nosed Mole.) Moles are about the size of a Chipmonk (6-8 inches in length.) Young moles have less than a 50% chance of surviving long enough to reproduce.
Moles eat insects, and they may control some insect outbreaks. However, mole activity can also cause considerable damage to lawns. The primary food source is earthworms and they cannot be controlled with an insecticide. Over-watering your lawn can bring moles closer to the ground surface, making tunnels more visiable
Snakes are long, thin reptiles. They do not have legs and they slither along the ground. In the United States, only Copperheads, Coral snakes, Rattlesnakes, and Water Moccasins have poisonous bites.
There are about 2,400 species of snakes in the world. They live almost everywhere, in deserts, forests, oceans,streams, and lakes. Some are ground dwellers, others live in trees, and other snakes spend most of their lives in water
MICE - The House Mouse is the most common rodent you will encounter. In some areas of the country you may encounter a field mouse, a white-footed mouse or a deer mouse. Droppings, fresh gnaw marks, and tracks indicate areas where mice are active. Mouse nests are made from fine shredded paper or other fiberous material, usually in sheltered locations. Mice are active mostly at night. Mice are more common and more difficult to control than rats.
Although house mice usually prefer to eat cereal grains, they are "nibblers" and will sample many different foods. Mice have keen senses of taste, hearing, smell and touch. They are excellent climbers. Mice can squeeze through openings slightly larger than 1/4 inch accross.
RATS - Rats are some of the most troublesome and damaging rodents in the United States. They consume and contaminate food, damage structures and properties, and transmit parasites and diseases to other animals and humans. The most troublesome rats are the Norway rat and the Roof rat. The Norway rat, sometimes called Brown or Sewer rats, are stocky burrowing rodents that are larger than Roof rats. The Norwat rat is found throughout the United States.
Roof rats, sometimes called Black rats, are slightly smaller than Norway rats. They have longer tails and are very agile climbers and usually live and nest above ground in shrubs, trees, and dense vegetation such as Ivy. They are usually found in ocean-influenced, warmer climates.
Effective control involves sanitation, exclusion and population reduction.
Bed Bugs are small wingless insects that feed solely upon the blood of warm-blooded animals. Certain kinds inhabit Bird nests and Bat roosts. Adults are about 1/4 inch in length. Because they never develop wings, Bed Bugs cannot fly.
Bed bugs seek out people and animals, generally at night while those hosts are asleep. Repeated exposure to Bed Bugs during a period of several weeks or more causes people to become sensitized to the saliva: additional bites may then result in mild to intense allergic responses.
Bed Bugs are nearly wordwide, and are currently making a resurgence in many areas of the world, especially in parts of North America, Europe, and Austrilia.
They readily hide in small crevices, luggage, furniture, clothing, pillows, and boxes. Be cautious when moving in used furniture; especially mattresses, box springs and bed frames. Also be careful when traveling, check your luggage throughly when returning from a trip.
Silverfish are small, soft insects without wings. They are not often seen by homeowners because they are nocturnal and can run very swiftly. Occasionally, they are found in bathtubs. They crawl in seeking food or water and can't climb out. These insects prefer vegetable matter with a high carbohydrate and protein content. A partial list includes dried beef, flour, starch, paper, gum, glue, cotton, linen, rayon, silk, sugar, molds and breakfast cereals.
Silverfish normally live outdoors under rocks, bark, and leak mold, in nests of birds and mammals, and in ant and termite nests.
This is a "group" classification that includes many beetles, borers, and moths. They are referred to as pantry pests because they are typically brought into the home in a food source and stored in the "pantry."
When this type of infestation is neglected or not noticed for a long period of time, it is more difficult and costly to correct the problem.
Nearly half of the 800,000 species of insects on earth are beetles. They come in a variety of colors and shapes; from the red Ladybug to the green Fig Beetle. Beetles range in size from less then 1/00 of an inch to up to six inches long.
Beetles can be destructive to both trees and plants as well as to structures. There are many beetles that attack and kill a large variety of trees and can do so in a short period of time if not addressed.
The Powder Post Beetle is a common structure problem. If neglected, it can cause thousands of dollars in damage to both structure as well as furniture and cabinetry.