Common household pests

	Common household pests The following text will give you more information about common household pests including characteristics and appearance: Insects -Over 900,000 of the Insect species exist, and more are detected nearly every day. The Insect class is the largest group of land animals. The following insects are often found in the home: Ants: It is unbelievable that there are over 20 varieties of ants invading homes in the U.S. during the warmer months. There are more that 12,000 species worldwide; however, not all of them cause problems. Some of the more common types of ants found in U.S. homes are the carpenter, fire, honey, Pharaoh, house, Argentine and thief ants. They all are unpleasant and can contaminate food. They range in color from red to black. The most vicious types of ants are the fire ants which give a powerful, painful sting. Over 30 deaths in the U.S. were caused from severe allergic reactions to fire ant stings. It costs millions of dollars each year to eradicate fire ants. Other destructive ants include the carpenter ants. They average in size from one-quarter inch for a worker ant to up to three-quarters of an inch for a queen ant. These ant colonies may have a long life span. A single fertilized queen ant establishes a nesting site in a hollow space in some wood to form a colony. It takes at least 2,000 workers to form a colony; this may take up to six years. Carpenter Ants: A worker ant is typically one-fourth inch long, whereas a queen is generally three-fourths inch. They range from red to black in color. Carpenter ants are generally found in porch pillars, roofs, window sills, telephone poles, trees, rotting logs and wood on the ground. They build nests in deteriorating wood, sometimes extending into quality wood. They do not eat the wood used to create the nests, but deposit it in small piles outside the entrance to the colony. Fire Ants: Fire ants have been spreading northward, westward and southward since the 1950s. Three species are common to the Southern U.S. These are the red imported fire ants, the imported fire ants and the southern fire ants. Due to the stings of these ants, they generate a significant health threat. They can be lethal to quail, deer, lizards, birds, toads and even a few people who experience severe allergic reactions. These ants infest wall openings, bath traps, shower stalls and hot water heaters. They are sensitive to vibration and movement. If fire ants swarm up a person's leg, one may sting which then triggers a chain reaction of other ants to sting in response. Thus, they are all stinging at the same time. Cockroaches: Fossil remains of cockroaches date back 200 million years, making them one of the oldest insects. They crawl on six legs, have wings and two antennae. They prefer dark, damp places, places with an ample food supply. They hide during the day in warm, dark places, i.e. under sinks, behind appliances such as dishwashers, stoves and refrigerators, and inside cupboards. They feed on many types of foods, especially those high in starch and sugar, as well as items such as books, film, linens, and leather. They usually scrounge around for food at night. They are able to survive a month or more without food, but less than two weeks without water. They can permeate items with their bitter, pungent odor. Cockroaches are responsible for numerous diseases in humans by transmitting their bacteria and organisms causing food poisoning, cholera, dysentery, salmonella and strep. Exposure to cockroach allergens is a major health problem for children with asthma. During an average breeding season cockroaches produce 350,000 to two million offspring. Although cockroaches are found in virtually all parts of the world, merely two species are prevalent in the United States. Those are the American cockroach and the German cockroach. The characteristics of the American cockroach are reddish-brown wings and light markings on the thorax; they generally are up to 1.5 inches long. The German cockroach is between one-half and five-eighths inches in length, are light brown with two dark stripes down the back. Powder Post Beetles: Twenty species of these beetles are prevalent, although there are several hundred species. They are between one-tenth and one-third inch in length and typically reddish brown in color. They can surface from wood from one to 10 years after a structure has been built. They usually emerge in the spring. They prefer woods used in conventional homes and furniture, such as pine, spruce, fir, oak or maple. They make their way into small round holes in wood, leaving a fine sawdust like powder around the exit holes. The arvae form channels where they have chewed their way through. They are attracted to lights, especially in windows. They generally live one to two years. Page Sponsor: Help protect your local birds: About bird feeders and bird cage shopping for more common pests... __________________________________________________________________________ Get pest control \| Terms and conditions \| Resources pest control guidebook \| help with pest control \| pest control info \| pest control services \| pest control references Copyright pestcontrolzapaway.com. All rights Reserved world wide. All trademarks and service marks are property of their respective owners.

Common household pests

The following text will give you more information about common household pests including characteristics and appearance:

Insects -Over 900,000 of the Insect species exist, and more are detected nearly every day. The Insect class is the largest group of land animals. The following insects are often found in the home:

Ants:
It is unbelievable that there are over 20 varieties of ants invading homes in the U.S. during the warmer months. There are more that 12,000 species worldwide; however, not all of them cause problems. Some of the more common types of ants found in U.S. homes are the carpenter, fire, honey, Pharaoh, house, Argentine and thief ants. They all are unpleasant and can contaminate food. They range in color from red to
black. The most vicious types of ants are the fire ants which give a powerful,
painful sting. Over 30 deaths in the U.S. were caused from severe allergic reactions to fire ant stings. It costs millions of dollars each year to eradicate fire ants. Other destructive ants include the carpenter ants. They average in size from one-quarter inch for a worker ant to up to three-quarters of an inch for a queen ant. These ant colonies may have a long life span. A single fertilized queen ant establishes a nesting site in a hollow space in some wood to form a colony. It takes at least 2,000 workers to form a colony; this may take up to six years.

Carpenter Ants:
A worker ant is typically one-fourth inch long, whereas a queen is generally three-fourths inch. They range from red to black in color. Carpenter ants are generally found in porch pillars, roofs, window sills, telephone poles, trees, rotting logs and wood on the ground. They build nests in deteriorating wood, sometimes extending into quality wood. They do not eat the wood used to create the nests, but deposit it in small piles outside the entrance to the colony.

Fire Ants:
Fire ants have been spreading northward, westward and southward since the 1950s. Three species are common to the Southern U.S. These are the red imported fire ants, the imported fire ants and the southern fire ants. Due to the stings of these ants, they generate a significant health threat. They can be lethal to quail, deer, lizards, birds, toads and even a few people who experience severe allergic reactions. These ants infest wall openings, bath traps, shower stalls and hot water heaters. They are sensitive to vibration and movement. If fire ants swarm up a person's leg, one may sting which then triggers a chain reaction of other ants to sting in response. Thus, they are all stinging at the same time.

Cockroaches:
Fossil remains of cockroaches date back 200 million years, making them one of the oldest insects. They crawl on six legs, have wings and two antennae. They prefer dark, damp places, places with an ample food supply. They hide during the day in warm, dark places, i.e. under sinks, behind appliances such as dishwashers, stoves and refrigerators, and inside cupboards. They feed on many types of foods, especially those high in starch and sugar, as well as items such as books, film, linens, and leather. They usually scrounge around for food at night. They are able to survive a month or more without food, but less than two weeks without water. They can permeate items with their bitter, pungent odor. Cockroaches are responsible for numerous diseases in humans by transmitting their bacteria and organisms causing food poisoning, cholera, dysentery, salmonella and strep. Exposure to cockroach allergens is a major health problem for children with asthma. During an average breeding season cockroaches produce 350,000 to two million offspring. Although cockroaches are found in virtually all parts of the world, merely two species are prevalent in the United States. Those are the American cockroach and the German cockroach. The characteristics of the American cockroach are reddish-brown wings and light markings on the thorax; they generally are up to 1.5 inches long. The German cockroach is between one-half and five-eighths inches in length, are light brown with two dark stripes down the back.

Powder Post Beetles:
Twenty species of these beetles are prevalent, although there are several hundred species. They are between one-tenth and one-third inch in length and typically reddish brown in color. They can surface from wood from one to 10 years after a structure has been built. They usually emerge in the spring. They prefer woods used in conventional homes and furniture, such as pine, spruce, fir, oak or maple. They make their way into small round holes in wood, leaving a fine sawdust like powder around the exit holes. The arvae form channels where they have chewed their way through. They are attracted to lights, especially in windows. They generally live one to two years.

Page Sponsor:

Help protect your local birds:

About bird feeders and bird cage shopping

for more common pests...

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Household pests