Pest Identification

Ants

Ants are social insects. They live in colonies, usually underground, and are very successful because of their ability to work together towards the common goal of caring for their queen. Ant colonies are comprised of at least one queen, and her workers. The workers take care of foraging for food to feed the young, and the protection of the queen.

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Bed Bugs

Bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) are ectoparasites which strictly feed on blood. Bed bugs are aptly named because they normally hide in mattresses, or as close as possible to their human host to enable easy nighttime feeding. They are very small insects about 3/16 inch in length, flat, and broadly oval.

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Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are social insects that use their strong mandibles to hollow out galleries in wood for nesting purposes. One of the tell tale signs of this particular species of ant is the piles of sawdust found near their nests, commonly referred to as frass. They are usually black, red, brown, or combinations of red and black. The workers in a carpenter ant colony vary in size from 1/8 to 1/2 an inch in length and the queen can be as large as 5/8 inches in length.

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Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees get their name from their practice of excavating galleries in wood for the purpose of raising the young. Adults resemble bumble bees and measure 3/4 - 1 inch, with a shiny black abdomen.

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Cockroaches

The German cockroach is the one of the most common of the Cockroach species. Adults are 1/2 to 5/8 of an inch in length, and light brown to tan in color and have two dark longitudinal stripes on the pronotal shield. Because they undergo simple metamorphosis the nymphal instars resemble the adult. A gravid female can carry as many as 40 eggs in her egg capsule known as an ootheca. There can be as many as three to four generations per year from one female. Needless to say this insect is a prolific breeder as is the case with most insect pests.

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Crickets

Crickets are insects that are well known for the males chirping sound, which is accomplished by the rubbing together of the front wings. One of the more common crickets in our geography is the house cricket. House crickets are 1/2 to 7/8 of an inch in length, and yellowish brown in color with three dark cross bands on their head. The adult female has an egg laying structure known as an ovipositor at the tip of the abdomen. Under idyllic conditions the female will lay as many as 728 eggs.

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Fleas

Fleas are insects that feed on the blood of humans or animals. Some of the more common fleas encountered in our geography include cat fleas, dog fleas, and human fleas. Fleas Undergo complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult) and the adult measures about 1/8 inches in length. Fleas are brownish black to black in color, and reddish black, when filled with blood. Larval stage is white eyeless and legless. Female which lays 4 to 8 eggs after each blood meal, may lay up to 500 eggs during her lifetime. Eggs are layed and deposited on or between pet hairs and are consequently easily shaken off into bedding. Adults may live for months without food.

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Face Flies

Adult face flies are non-biting, measure about 1/2 inch in length, are dull gray, and feed on the mucus and watery secretions found around the eyes, nostrils and mouths of cattle. Females lay their eggs in fresh cow manure. This fly has sponging mouthparts, which means it secretes saliva onto its food and sponges it back up again. (Not a pleasant fact but true!) This fact means face flies are capable of transporting disease organisms.

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Filth Flies

Filth flies cause annoyance and discomfort and can spread disease. All filth flies have an egg, larva (maggot), pupa, and adult stage in their life cycle. The most common Filth flies are: house flies, flesh flies, and blow/bottle flies. The house fly, Musca domestica is a small gray fly (1/8" - 1/4" with 4 longitudinal stripes on the thorax. Adult females lay up to 900 eggs at a time that can hatch within 8 to 20 hours and complete their life cycle is as little as 6 days. Flesh flies are medium-to-large sized flies (1/4"  to 7/16") and usually have 3 dark thoracic stripes and mottled abdomens. Females lay up to 325 larvae during their life span and complete their life cycle in 10 to 25 days. Blow/bottle flies are larger still, (3/8" to 5/8" long), and appear to be metallic green, blue or copper. Females lay up to 600 eggs that can hatch in 8 hours and complete their life cycle in 12 to 35 days.

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Small Flies

Adult face flies are non-biting, measure about 1/2 inch in length, are dull gray, and feed on the mucus and watery secretions found around the eyes, nostrils and mouths of cattle. Females lay their eggs in fresh cow manure. This fly has sponging mouthparts, which means it secretes saliva onto its food and sponges it back up again. (Not a pleasant fact but true!) This fact means face flies are capable of transporting disease organisms.

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Mice

Two types of mice are common to invade in homes and businesses. The house mouse is a smaller rodent that has a slightly pointed nose; small, black, somewhat protruding eyes; larger ears; and a nearly hairless. They are generally grayish brown with a gray or buff belly. The deer mouse has white feet, usually white undersides, and brownish upper surfaces. Their tails are relatively long, sometimes as long as the head and body. Their tails are also sharply bi-colored. In comparison to house mice, Deer mice have larger eyes and ears.

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Moles

Moles, while considered rodents are actually insectivores. They are small creatures with long narrow snouts, tiny eyes, rounded bodies and powerful front claws that are ideal for digging and tunneling. In fact moles have the ability to tunnel up to 100 feet each day and to do so by lying on their side and pushing up to make a raised surface tunnel.

Rats

There are two rat species that are of particular concern as pests, Norway rats and roof rats. They are both considered commensal rodents, which means they share the table with humans and are the only ones benefiting from the relationship.

Pantry Pests

Cereal grain products and other foods stored in the home may become infested with insects. These insects are commonly known as "pantry pests." Almost all dry, stored human food products as well as dry pet food and birdseed can be infested.

Pigeons

Pigeons are believed to have been bred from the European rock dove and brought to our continent in the early 1600's. They are widespread in the United States and considered feral birds. Adults measure a little over a foot in length and are white to black or bluish grey in color. Because they have 3 front and one rear projecting toe they are able to roost. They tend to build nests on ledges of structures, and spend their time nesting, loafing or roosting.

Silverfish

Silverfish or bristletails get their common name from the three bristle like appendages on the rear of their body. Their teardrop shaped body is covered with silver scales and measures 1/2 - 3/4 inches in length. They will frequent any room in the house. They prefer to feed on paper or wallpaper with their chewing mouthparts. They may live up to a year without food, but require humidity to survive.

Spiders

Although sometimes thought to be insects spiders are arachnids. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 species of spiders in the United States. The spiders of interest in our geography include brown recluse spiders and black widow spiders.

Springtails

Springtails are tiny, soft-bodied creatures ranging from only .04 to .1 inches in length.  They tend to develop into different sizes and shapes –even in the same colony – but the one thing they all have in common is their ability to jump.  Springtails have an appendage, called a “furcula” that loads like a spring and upon release will hurl a springtail into the air.  This maneuver is often used to propel a springtail away from danger.

Termites

Termites are wood destroying insects that scientists believe have been around for over 250 million years! Most termites feed on cellulose from wood or wood products. They are social insects that live in a colony in the ground or in wood. One of the tell tale signs of their presence is the mud tubes they build to gain access to wood.

Ticks

Ticks are slow-crawling, wingless vermin that feed solely on human and animal blood. Of greatest concern in our geography are hard ticks. They are usually found just a few inches or feet off the ground on vegetation. The tick species most commonly encountered infesting people and animals in our geography are the lone star tick, the American dog tick, and the blacklegged tick or deer tick.

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Voles

Voles are blunt-nosed, short-tailed mice that love to eat bulbs, hostas and tree roots but will eat grass roots if its preferred plants are not available.  Voles are heavy vegetation eaters and considered the most prolific rodent, with an ability to multiply from two to 100 in a single year.

Wasps & Hornets (Stinging Insects)

Wasps and hornets are stinging insect that belong to the order of insects known as hymenoptera. The same order of insects that ants belong to. They are known as beneficial insects as they are pollinators. Depending upon specifics species they will nest in the ground or in nests which they construct in various locations from the eaves of homes to trees or bushes.

Wood Destroying Beetles

Wood destroying or wood boring beetles are insects that have the capability to destroy anything made of wood from trees to furniture to the wooden structure of homes and buildings as well as the rotten wood in and around property.