| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
7.3% 
30.6% 
Questions
Answers
| 1. Carpenter Ants | |
| General Information on Ants ;..Ants communicate by touch and smell. They lay down chemical trails and constantly touch each other to pass on their nest odor. Ants live in colonies which may have as many as 500,000 individuals. Tiny ants can lift objects that weigh more than they do. Ants have remarkably strong jaws and can give a painful nip. When some species bite, they are able to squirt formic acid from the end of their abdomen into the wound making it very painful. When ants find food, they lay down a chemical trail, called a pheromone, so that other ants can find their way from the nest to the food source. Carpenter Ants, the largest North American ants, dig galleries in the wood and sometimes damage foundations and other wooden structures, as do termites, but they cause almost as much damage by nesting in it -- approximately $750 million each year. Carpenter Ants (Genus Camponotus) Appearance: Among the largest ants they range in size from 1/4 to 3/8 inches long, the most common species in this area are the red and black, but some can be solid black, workers have large mandibles (jaws). Habits: They normally nest in dead portions of trees, stumps or logs, or under fallen logs or stones; they invade homes in search of food; nests inside of homes can do a lot of damage, they hollow out galleries in wood that are so smooth that they appear to have been sandpapered. Diet: They do NOT eat wood but leave lots of holes, they will feed on nearly anything people eat, especially starch products; they also feed on other insects. Reproduction: The Queen ant lays 15 - 20 eggs the first year, and up to 30 eggs the second year; the eggs complete their life cycle in about 60 days, worker ants can live up to seven years, while a queen may live up to 25 years. Other Info: All kinds of houses, regardless of age or type of construction, are vulnerable to infestation and damage by carpenter ants, they are difficult to control, colonies can contain up to 3,000 plus workers. Pharaoh Ant (Monomorium Pharaonis) Appearance: Very small; light yellow to red in color, with black markings on the abdomen; about 1/16th of an inch long. Habits: Depends on artificial heating in human dwellings to survive; infestations commonly occur in food service areas; will nest in any well-protected and hidden areas throughout a structure; can nest outdoors. Diet: Food of all types; will also eat other insects. Reproduction: Grows from egg to adult in about 45 days; females live as long as 39 weeks and can lay about 400 eggs; workers can live up to 10 weeks. Other Info: This is the most difficult and persistent of all household ants to control; very large colonies, with up to several million workers and thousands of Queens. | |
| top | |
| 2. Ground Ants | |
| Ground Ants
..... Ground Ants General Information on Ants: Ants communicate by touch and smell. They lay down chemical trails and constantly touch each other to pass on their nest odor. Appearance: Black or red ground ants can be 1/15 to 1/10 inch long. Habits: Nests can be found beneath rocks or in lawns. Small craters of fine soil in lawns indicates an ant nest below the surface. Other nesting places include rotten wood and masonary of buildings. They occasionally invade houses in search of food. Diet: Plant secretions (exterior) and sweets, meats, breads, grease vegetables and fruit (interior). | |
| top | |
| 3. Stinging Insects - Wasps | |
| AlphaSortActive False TrWasps - Hornets
..... Wasps - Hornets Appearance: Variety of shapes and colors; can be distinguished from bees by their smooth, rather than hairy bodies; 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. Habits: Exhibit predatory and scavenging behavior; some species are solitary, while others live in colonies which may number thousands of individuals. Diet: Primarily protein, such as spiders, soft?bodied insects and small animals. Reproduction: Social wasps begin a nest with one queen laying all eggs for colony; if a queen dies, a worker can take over egg?laying function until colony produces new queen. | |
| top | |
| 4. Stinging Insects - Honey Bees | |
| AlphaSortHoney Bees
..... Honey Bees Appearance: Most species of concern to man have yellow and black coloring; 7/16 to 5/8 inch long; appear to have hairy bodies. Habits: Live in colonies of 20,000 to 80,000 individuals; will leave humans alone if not provoked. Diet: Nectar and pollen. Reproduction: Only one egg?laying queen in a hive; queen may live as long as 5 years and lay as many as 1,500 to 2,000 eggs per day; worker females Protect eggs and the young; drones only duty is to mate with queen, after which they die. Other info: Stings can be painful, but are harmless to most people; however, dangerous allergic reactions can occur. | |
| top | |
| 5. Stinging Insects - Bumble Bees | |
| Bumble Bees
..... Bumble Bees Appearance: Black and yellow with medium coarse hair; various sizes. Bumble Bees are social insects that generally nest underground. They do not make holes or tunnels in wood but will nest in abandoned mouse burrows, under piles of grass clippings or leaves, stones, logs or other such locations. Often they will enter a crack in a building wall and nest in the insulation. They seldom become a problem of consequence except in situations where the nests are established close to a sidewalk, near a building foundation, or in some other locations where conflict with people or pets is inevitable. A number of species may be commonly encountered, some of which are more likely to sting people than others. Whenever the nest area is directly threatened, bumble bees will attack and sting the intruder as a defensive reaction. The worst thing a homeowner can do is block off the exterior entrance point, as this will force the bee further inside the home. | |
| top | |
| 6. Rodents - Mice | |
| Mice
..... Mice Deer nice and house mice are the ?two most common rodents found in homes and businesses in this region. Common entrance points include doors, dryer vents, bay windows and exterior plumbing areas. Evidence of droppings found in different areas of the home or business usually indicates more than 1 mouse. When cleaning up any of these droppings, a damp paper towel or rag should be used with a 5% bleach?water solution. Never vacuum or sweep dry droppings due to the dust disturbance. There are different treatments for mice, in cluding anticoagulant baits, traps and glue boards. Each method can be effective, depending on the severity of the problem . HANTAVIRUS: Over the last 6 to 7 years, this has become a word that most people are familiar with. It is an air?born virus caused by the dust build?up on rodent droppings and their urine. In this region the only known carrier is the Deer Mouse. The symptoms of Hantavirus include fever and muscle aches, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and a dry cough. APPEARANCE: Deer Mouse ? Primarily brown colored backs with a white under belly. They have noticably large eyes and ears. House Mouse ? Primarily dark grey colored backs with light grey to off?white underbelly, but many color variations have been noted. The ears are quite large, but eyes are quite a bit smaller than the Deer Mouse. MOUSE FACTS: Mice are capable of being transported for long periods of time in closed containers, such as boxes, barrels or crates. Many fires of "unknown cause,, may have been caused by mice chewing through electrical wiring. In six months one pair of mice can eat about four pounds of food and produce some 18,000 fecal droppings. Mice are not blind but have bad vision and cannot see clearly beyond about six inches. They are excellent climbers and can run up almost any roughened wall without breaking stride. They can swim but prefer not to. More than once, a live mouse has been flushed down a toilet and has resurfaced a minute later. They can jump a vertical distance of 12 inches from the floor onto an elevated flat surface. They can jump a height of eight feet to the floor without injury. They can run horizontally along pipes, wires and ropes | |
| top | |
| 7. Rodents - Pocket Gophers | |
| Pocket Gophers
..... Gophers Appearance: Pocket Gophers have silky brown fur, blunt nose, very small eyes and almost unrecognizable ears. They are approximately 9 inches long and weight 1/3 pound. Most of their life is spent underground and they are commonly mistaken for moles. Piles of black dirt with no visible hole indicates a pocket gopher problem below. Their diet consists of plant roots. Treatment: Both baiting and trapping have proved effective on pocket gophers | |
| top | |
| 8. Rodents - Squirrels | |
| Squirrels
..... Squirrels Appearance: Usually red or grey, have a big bushy tail. Diet: Fruit, bark, leaves, seeds, nuts, insects. Other Info: Can be very destructive if they get in an attic (have been known to start fires by chewing the electrical cables). Reproduction: Capable of 2 litters per year depending on conditions. Usually have 2 to 7 young per litter. Treatment: Live trapping is usually the most effective means of removing squirrels from unwanted areas. | |
| top | |
| 9. Bees | |
| Bees
... Carpenter Bee (Genus Xylocopa) Appearance: Large, about 1 inch, resemble bumblebees; some species may have a blue-black, green or purple metallic sheen; no hair on abdomen. Habits: Often burrow into the exposed, unfinished dry wood of buildings, telephone poles, fence posts and bridges; prefer softer woods for nesting; not social insects, although individuals may establish burrows close to each other. Diet: Pollen and nectar. Reproduction: Complete one generation per year in most of the U.S.; mature from egg to adult in from 84 to 99 days; female furnishes nest with "bee bread," a mixture of pollen and regurgitated nectar, and lays an egg on top of it. Other Info: Damage to wood from a pair of bees is slight, but a larger number can, over a period of time, cause considerable damage; do not sting, make loud buzzing noise when flying. Honey Bee (Order Hymenoptera) Appearance: Most species of concern to man have yellow and black coloring; 7/16 to 5/8 inch long; appear to have hairy bodies. Habits: Live in colonies of 20,000 to 80,000 individuals; will leave humans alone if not provoked. Diet: Nectar and pollen. Reproduction: Only one egg-laying queen in a hive; queen may live as long as 5 years and lay as many as 1,500 to 2,000 eggs per day; worker females protect eggs and the young; drones' only duty is to mate with queen, after which they die. Other Info: Stings can be painful, but are harmless to most people; however, dangerous allergic reactions can occur. Wasps (Order Hymenoptera) Appearance: Variety of shapes and colors; can be distinguished from bees by their smooth, rather than hairy, bodies; 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. Habits: Exhibit predatory and scavenging behavior; some species are solitary, while others live in colonies which may number thousands of individuals. Diet: Primarily protein, such as spiders, soft-bodied insects and small animals. Reproduction: Social wasps begin a nest with one queen laying all eggs for colony; if a queen dies, a worker can take over egg-laying function until colony produces new queen. Other Info: Very protective of their nests; will defend against invaders with painful stings. | |
| top | |
| 10. Beetles | |
| Beetles
.... Anobiid Powderpost Beetle (Family Anobiidae) Appearance: Dark brown to blackish-brown, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch; range in shape from slender and elongated to oval. Habits: Larvae live in and create tunnels in hardwoods and softwoods, usually more than ten years old; create small, round holes of 1/16 to 1/8 inch diameter, which appear especially in structural timbers. Diet: Larvae feed on both hardwoods and softwoods. Reproduction: Life cycle averages 2 to 3 years, with the majority of time spent in the destructive larval stage; females lay about 50 eggs. Other Info: The potential for damage is greatest in the early period of infestation, when the number of exit holes in the wood is low. Bostrichid Powderpost Beetle (Family Bostrichidae) Appearance: Reddish brown to black, about one-eighty to one-fourth inch; elongated and slender. Habits: Females bore into wood and create tunnels for laying eggs; infest both softwoods and hardwoods, but cause most damage in hardwoods. Diet: Usually new wood, less than ten years old. Reproduction: Eggs are laid inside tunnels; larvae complete their development usually in about one year, but have been known to take up to five. Other Info: Often found in oak, firewood, and furniture. Carpet Beetle (Order Coleoptera) Appearance: Small, rounded, gray to blackish, with a varied pattern of whitish and orange scales on the back; shape resembles the lady bug; about one-fifth inch long. Habits: Adults often inhabit flowerbeds; can enter the home when cut flowers are brought in; outside, feeds on pollen and nectar. Diet: In homes, larvae will eat carpet and woolen fabric and other animal products. Reproduction: Female lays 30 to 100 eggs, which hatch in 10 to 18 days; larval stage lasts 60 to 325 days; adults live 20 to 60 days. Other Info: All damage is done by the larvae; contact with carpet beetles can cause dermatitis in humans. Flour Beetle (Order Genus Coleuptera) Appearance: Flattened, oblong and reddish-brown; about one-seventh inch long; larvae are one-fourth inch long and are white to yellow. Habits: Infest stored grain and grain products; small size enables them to work themselves into many sealed containers. Diet: Feed on a variety of foods, but most commonly flour and cereal products. Reproduction: Females lay an average of 300 to 400 eggs; life cycle usually takes about seven weeks, but may last up to three months; four or five generations per year. Other Info: Attracted to light, but quickly run for cover when disturbed; adults may live as long as three years; impart a disagreeable odor and taste to the flour they infest. Old House Borer (Hylotrupes Bajulus) Appearance: Adults are black to brownish-black, about five-eighths to one inch long; slightly flattened; wing covers are usually completely black, but may have distinct white markings. Habits: Larval stage feeds on seasoned timber for two to ten years before becoming an adult beetle; adult emerges from infested wood, leaving one-fourth inch oval exit hole, and mates, living only 10 to 15 days. Diet: Larval stage feeds on wood with moisture content of between 10 to 20 percent; prefers softwoods. Reproduction: Life cycle averages three to five years, but can take as long as 12 years, depending on environmental and nutritional conditions, with the majority of time spent in the destructive larval stage. Other Info: Contrary to its name, it occurs mostly in houses less than 10 years old. Powder Post Beetle (Family Lyctidae) Appearance: Adults are small, slender and flattened, reddish brown to black; from one-eighth inch to one-fourth inch; short antennae; larvae are usually less than one-fourth inch long, cream colored and slightly C-shaped. Habits: Attack the sapwood of hardwoods, especially oak, hickory and ash; create small, round holes which appear in hardwood floors, furniture, molding and fixtures. Diet: Starch, sugar and protein in the sapwood of hardwoods; prefer moisture content of between 10 to 20 percent. Reproduction: Life cycle averages one year, with the majority of time spent in the destructive larval stage; females lay an average of 20 to 50 eggs. Other Info: Most common and widespread of the wood-boring beetles in the U.S.; pinhole openings in wood are a sign of infestation. | |
| top | |
| 11. Centipedes | |
| Centipedes
..... Centipedes (Class Chilopoda) Appearance: Flattened, with one pair of legs on most of their segments; segments number from 10 to 100; 1 to 1-1/2 inches long; various colors. Habits: Usually live outdoors beneath damp accumulations of leaves, stones, boards, etc. Occasionally find their way into homes, where they hide in moist basements, damp closets and bathrooms; when disturbed, they run swiftly. Diet: Insects and spiders. Reproduction: Some species live as long as 5 to 6 years. Other Info: Large jaws can inject poison, but a bite is comparable to a wasp sting, and is not life-threatening. | |
| top | |
| 12. Fleas | |
| Fleas
...;.. A number of diseases are transmitted by fleas, including epidemic typhus and the bubonic plague. Fleas also carry tapeworms from dogs and rodents and can transmit them to humans. More than 2400 flea species exist worldwide. A female flea consumes 15 times its body weight in blood daily. Fleas are blood-sucking parasites. Fleas are highly mobile and often not particular about what species they visit. In the absence of a pet, for example, humans become the flea's blood meal. | |
| top | |
| 13. Silver Fish | |
| Silver Fish
..... Silverfish (Order Thysanura) Appearance: About 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch long, somewhat "carrot-shaped" from above; gray or silver-colored; three filaments extend from rear. Habits: Nocturnal; move swiftly, can jump; found where there is excessive humidity; do great damage to books, wallpaper, other paper products. Diet: Prefer starch, paste, glue; paper products of all kinds; starched textiles. Reproduction: 2 to 3 month reproductive cycle; lay about 50 eggs per hatch; live 2 to 2-1/2 years. Other Info: Thought to belong to one of the most primitive existing insect orders, more than 400 million years old. Silverfish Facts This species is often a pest in homes and libraries. It feeds on starchy materials, such as glue, but requires high-humidity. It can be reared in glass jars where it will feed on cornmeal and other starchy foods. Potatoes will provide the necessary water. Do not let it mold or let the jar get too dry. Other species of this poorly known order can be captured in the wild. They are found in leaf litter and among rocks and in debris along the shore.These insects are considered to be very primitive, perhaps the most primitive of living forms. The appendages on the ventral surface of the abdomen are one indication of this, even though these are not functional locomotive apendages. Silverfish might well be considered living fossils; they are much older than the dinosaurs. | |
| top | |
| 14. Spiders | |
| Spiders
.... Black Widow Spiders (Genus Latrodectus) Appearance: Female is 1/2 inch long; shiny black, with hourglass- shape read mark on underside of abdomen. Habits: Can be found almost anywhere, indoors or out; prefer to build their nests close to the ground. Diet: Insects trapped in web made by female. Reproduction: Contrary to popular belief, female is usually unsuccessful in any attempt to eat male after mating; 300 - 400 eggs are laid in silken cocoon, hatch in about 10 days. Other Info: Black Widows are not aggressive, and will not bite unless provoked. However, they are poisonous. If bitten, seek medical attention; bites are rarely fatal. Brown Recluse Spiders (Loxosceles Recluse) Appearance: Yellowish to brown, with a dark brown violin-shaped dorsal marking; 5/8 to 1 inch long. Habits: Can be found outside under rocks, leaves, debris, bark, wood piles; found inside in storage areas such as closets, attics; usually found close to the ground. Diet: Cockroaches, crickets and other soft bodied insects. Reproduction: Mating occurs from February to October; 40 - 50 eggs are deposited in off-white, round silken cases; lifetime averages from 1 - 2 years. Other Info: Bite is poisonous, but rarely fatal; neglected bites can cause a disfiguring scar; presence of shed skins indicates infestation. | |
| top | |
| 15. Ticks | |
| Ticks
.... Ticks (Order Acarina) Appearance: Differs by species, but all adults are very small, roundish, with eight legs (larvae or seed ticks have six legs.); 1/8 to 1/2 inch long. Habits: Live on bodies of mammals, birds and reptiles. Diet: Blood; all species can swell to a considerable size after feeding. Reproduction: Differs by species, but typical indoor cycle begins with up to 5000 eggs laid in floor cracks and carpets; eggs hatch in 19 - 60 days; larvae will lay in wait for contact with suitable host. Other Info: Ticks are known carriers of many serious diseases, including encephalitis, tick paralysis, typhus and Lyme disease; adults can live over 500 days without a meal. | |
| top | |
| 16. Rodents | |
| Mice & Rats
..... Mouse Facts Mice are capable of being transported for long periods of time in closed containers, such as boxes, barrels or crates. Many fires of "unknown cause" may have been caused by mice chewing through electrical wiring. In six months one pair of mice can eat about four pounds of food and produce some 18,000 fecal droppings. Mice are not blind but have bad vision and cannot see clearly beyond about six inches. They are excellent climbers and can run up almost any roughened wall without breaking stride. They can swim but prefer not to. More than once, a live mouse has been flushed down a toilet and has resurfaced a minute later. They can jump a vertical distance of 12 inches from the floor onto an elevated flat surface. They can jump a height of eight feet to the floor without injury. They can run horizontally along pipes, wires and ropes. House Mouse (Mus Musculus) Appearance: Small and slender, 3 - 4 inches long, with large ears, small eyes and pointed nose, light gray or light brown, droppings are rod-shaped. Habits: Nests within structures and burrow; they will normally make their nest within 10 to 30 feet from a food source; they are excellent climbers. Diet: Prefer cereal grain. Reproduction: Breed at two months, can have litters as often as every 40 - 50 days with four to seven young per litter; they can live up to one year. Other Info: Feed 15 - 20 times per day, carry many diseases, and can get through an opening as small as a dime. Rat Facts Rats memorize specific pathways and use the same routes habitually. Rats can get in your home through an opening about the size of a quarter. Rats damage structures, chew wiring and can cause electrical fires. Rats eat and urinate on human and animal food and carry many diseases. Thousands of rat bites are reported each year in the North Americaalone and many are suspected to go unreported. Accidental poisonings occur among humans and pets from poorly planned efforts to poison rats. Rats rely predominately on smell, taste, touch, and hearing as opposed to vision. They move around mainly in the dark using their long sensitive whiskers and the guard hairs on their body to guide them. Rats are cautious,and if their food is in an exposed area where it cannot be consumed quickly, they usually carry or drag it to a hiding place. Rats have an excellent sense of taste, enabling them to detect certain compounds including rat poisons, at extremely low concentrations very quickly. Rats are omnivorous, eating nearly any type of food, including dead and dying members of their own species. Norway Rat (Rattus Norvegicus) Appearance: Brown, 6 - 8 inches long, small eyes and ears, blunt nose, tail is shorter than head and body; droppings are capsule shaped. Habits: Nest in underground burrows, from which they enter buildings in search of food; they tend to remain in hiding during the daylight hours. Diet: Omnivorous, but prefer meats; they cannot survive without water. Reproduction: Reaches sexual maturity in two months; can breed any month of the year, litters may number from 8 - 11; they can have from 4 - 7 litters per year, adults can live as long as one year. Other Info: The Norway Rat is the most common rat in the United States and is the carrier of many serious diseases. Roof Rat (Rattus Rattus) Appearance: Brown or Black, 7 - 10 inches long, with a long tail and large ears and eyes, and they have a pointed nose. Habits: They nest inside and under buildings, or in piles of wood debris and other rubbish; they are excellent climbers and are often found in the upper parts of structures. Diet: Omnivorous, but they prefer fruits, grains, nuts and veggies. Reproduction: They become sexually mature at 4 months of age, they can have 4 - 6 litters per year; with 4 - 8 young per litter. They can also live up to one year. Other Info: Can squeeze through openings only 1/2 inch wide, and carry many serious diseases. Signs of Rodents in and around your structure: Droppings along well traveled pathways, in feeding areas and near the rodents shelter. Droppings may be as long as 3/4 inch and up to 1/4 inch in diameter. Fresh droppings are soft. Tracks, including footprints and tails marks, on dusty surfaces, in mud or snow. Urine along traveled pathways or in feeding areas. Both wet and dry rodent urine will glow under ultraviolet light (Black Light). Smudge or rub marks on beams, rafters, walls, pipes, and other fixtures. Gnawing marks on doors or ledges, in corners, in wall material, on stored materials or on other surfaces. Noises in the walls caused by gnawing, climbing, clawing, squeaks, and fighting; particularly at night when rodents are the most active. | |
| top | |
| Back | Edit |
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
| |