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American Cockroaches
 American cockroach (Blattaria: Blattidae, Periplaneta americana) adults are 1 and 1/2 inches long and are reddish brown and have a yellowish margin on the body region behind the head. When disturbed, may run rapidly and adults may fly. Immature cockroaches resemble adults except that they are wingless. 
American cockroaches generally live in moist areas, but can survive in dry areas if they have access to water. They prefer warm temperatures around 84 degrees Fahrenheit and do not tolerate cold temperatures. In residential areas, these cockroaches live in basements and sewers, and may move outdoors into yards during warm weather. They feed on a wide variety of plant and animal material.
 Females produce egg cases and carry them protruding from the tip of the abdomen for about two days. Egg cases are then generally placed on a surface in a hidden location. Egg cases are 3/8 inch long, brown, and purse shaped. Immature cockroaches emerge from egg cases in 6 to 8 weeks and require 6 to 12 months to mature. Adult cockroaches can live up to one year.
Photo © Pioneer Pest Managment 4119 Brick Schoolhouse Road Hamlin, NY
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Argentine Ants
Photo © Geek On The Run Technology Services Long Island, NY
This light to dark brown ant, about one-tenth inch long; antenna has 12 segments. The Argentine ant is readily adaptable and can nest in a great variety of situations. Colonies are massive, and may contain hundreds of queens, nests are usually located in moist soil, next to or under buildings, along sidewalks, or beneath boards. They travel in trails, forage day and night. This ant can eat almost anything but prefers sweets. It has no important natural enemy in the United States.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Asian Lady Beetle
Photo by Scott Bauer.
Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis
The Asian lady beetle is a common and widespread wintertime household pest across most of the United States. Large numbers of these insects invade homes during the fall and remain active over the winter, especially in late winter when temperatures warm and days get longer. Ladybugs do not feed and cannot reproduce indoors; they have not multiplied indoors although it must seem that way to homeowners who have been inundated with them.
When lady beetles stranded indoors for the winter are emerging from inside house walls, there is no control option more practical or effective than repeated vacuuming. Spraying insecticides has little or no effect. However, one alternative for homeowners unable/unwilling to pursue wintertime ladybug control via vacuuming is the use of lady beetle traps as indoor collecting devices.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Australian Cockroaches
Photo © Allpet Roaches
Australian cockroach (Periplaneta australasiea fabricius)
The Australian cockroach closely resembles the American cockroach , but can be separated from it by its slightly smaller size , about 1 1/4 to 1 3/8 inches long and the wings of both sexes cover the abdomen. The Australian cockroach life cycle requires about one year from egg to adult. This world-wide species has become established in the southern U.S. and in many greenhouses. In the United States, it is most abundant in Florida and the coastal southern states, and in California it ranges as far north as San Francisco. It lives outdoors around the perimeter of houses and is the most prevalent cockroach outdoors in south Florida. Australian cockroaches are prevalent in leaf litter, in and around shrubs, flowers and trees, tree holes, wood piles, garages, crawl spaces, attics, and greenhouses. It is a pest when it enters homes where it may eat holes in clothing and feed upon book covers. It is apparently more vegetarian than the other cockroaches.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Baldfaced Hornets
The Bald faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) are black and white, 5/8 to 3/4 of an inch long and are actually a yellowjacket.
Its nest is a gray "paper" envelope with several layers of combs inside. A mature nest is bigger than a basketball, but pear-shaped, with the larger end at the top and an entrance hole near the bottom.
A single, over-wintering queen begins building the nest in the spring. She lays eggs and tends the first batch of larvae that develop into workers. These workers tend new larvae and expand the nest throughout the summer. A mature colony can have several hundred workers by the end of the summer. In fall, workers die and next year's queens find over-wintering sites.
Baldfaced hornets are beneficial, capturing insects (often including other yellowjackets) to feed to their larvae. Though larger than other yellowjackets, Baldfaced hornets are generally more docile. But they can become aggressive and will sting when their nest is disturbed or threatened.
A Baldfaced nest is usually constructed high in a tree. In these cases the nest is best left alone. In fact, Baldfaced hornet nests are often first noticed in fall when leaves drop, exposing the nest. By this time the hornets are dead or dying, and the nest will not be reused.
Occasionally you will find a Baldfaced nest built on the side of a building, in low shrubbery, or even in an attic or shed. Nests in these sites will probably need to be eliminated.
Information Courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Bed Bugs
 The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius Linnaeus) probably received its name from its close association with human bedding. Bed bugs often seek refuge in bedding during the day and feed on the bed's occupants at night. These insects are known by several names: wall louse, house bug, mahogany flat, red coat, and crimson ramblers, to name a few.
While bed bugs feed primarily on humans, they also feed on other mammals, poultry, and other birds. Their host range is confused by the fact that the insect family Cimicidae, of which the common bed bug is a member, has several closely related species with similar habits and appearance. Among those reported in New Mexico are the western bat bug (Cimex pilosellus Horvath) and the swallow bug (Oeciacus vicarius Horvath). While these insects prefer other hosts, they can, when stressed, feed on humans.
It has never been proven that bed bugs are disease carriers in the United States. They are spread mainly by clothing and baggage of travelers and visitors, secondhand beds, bedding materials, furniture, and laundry.
The mature bed bug is a brown- to mahogany-colored, wingless insect. Its size depends on how recently it has eaten a blood meal. An unfed bed bug is between 1/4 and 3/8 inches long. The upper surface of its body has a papery, crinkly, flimsy appearance. When engorged with blood, its body becomes elongated and swollen, and its color changes from brown to dull red. The color, size, and shape change from an unfed to a full bug is remarkable.
Bed bug eggs are white and about 1/3-inch long. Under favorable conditions the female bed bug lays about 200 eggs at the rate of 3 or 4 per day. Eggs have a sticky coating and stick to objects where they are laid. It usually takes the eggs 6 to 17 days to hatch, and the newly emerged nymphs will feed immediately. A bed bug goes through five molts (shedding of its skin) before it reaches maturity. Depending on environmental factors and the availability of food, there can be considerable variation in developmental rate. Bed bugs may live for several weeks to several months without feeding, depending on temperature.
A bed bug generally feeds at night, but if it is hungry and the area has a dim light, it may feed during the day. A bed bug generally pierces the skin of humans as they sleep. It injects a fluid into the human skin to aid in obtaining blood. Often this fluid causes a welt on the skin that becomes irritated, inflamed, and itchy. If left undisturbed, a full-grown bed bug becomes engorged with blood in 3 to 5 minutes. It then crawls into hiding, remaining there for several days to digest its meal. When hunger returns, the bug emerges from hiding and seeks another blood meal.
Heavily used hiding places are evident by black or brown spots of dried blood excrement on the surfaces where the bugs rest. Eggs, egg shells, and cast skins may be found near these places. Usually there is an offensive odor where bed bugs are numerous. In early infestations the bed bugs are found only about the tufts, seams, and folds of mattresses and daybed covers; later they spread to cracks and crevices in the bedsteads. If allowed to multiply, they establish themselves behind baseboards, window and door casings, pictures, and moldings, and in furniture, loosened wallpaper, and cracks in plaster and partitions.
L.M. English, Extension Entomologist College of Agriculture and Home Economics New Mexico State University
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Black Widow Spiders
Photographer: Ronald F. Billings, Texas Forest Service
Black Widow Spiders Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius)
Northern Widow Spider Latrodectus variolus (Walckenaer)
Spring and summer is when you find an over abundance of spiders around the house. In many instances, at least one of these spiders can be identified as the black widow . The black widow spider is present in every state in the union and is found in Canada and South America. The males and females are distinctly different in appearance.
The female is shiny black with a bright red hourglass shaped marking on the underside of the abdomen. A mature female, with legs extended, is up to two inches long with the abdomen ranging from 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. The male is much smaller with its overall length less than one inch. It is usually lighter than the female in overall color and has light streaks on his abdomen.
The web on this species is also distinctive. The strands of silk run in many directions so the web appears as a concentration of irregularly arranged threads. The silk strand of the web is considerably heavier and stronger than those of other species that form similarly shaped webs. The female hangs upside down in the web such that the red hourglass faces up. The egg sacs, which contain up to several hundred eggs, are most frequently encountered from May to October. The female typically stays with and guards the sac until the eggs hatch. The young spiderlings remain inside the sac for several days subsequent to hatching. Within a few days after emergence, the spiderlings release strands of silk out into the breeze and are carried off into a new territory. Most of these flights occur during the early fall months.
Development from egg to adult may take from two to four months or more. A female may live a year or more after maturity. Males are sometimes killed by the female soon after mating, thus the name "widow" is attached to the spider.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Book Lice
Booklice belong to a group of insects collectively called psocids. The psocids are small, soft-bodied insects, most of which are less than one-eighth of an inch long. They are both winged and wingless. Psocids have chewing mouthparts.
The majority of psocids are outdoor species with well developed wings. They are most commonly found on bark or foliage of trees and shrubs. These psocids are frequently called "barklice." Most of the species found in buildings are wingless. Because they are often found among books or papers, they are called booklice. The term "lice" in the names is somewhat misleading because none of these insects are parasites and few of them have a louselike appearance. Psocids feed on molds, fungi, cereals, pollen, fragments of dead insects, or other similar materials. They cause little loss by actually eating foodstuffs since they do feed chiefly on mold. At times they may become extremely abundant and spread through an entire building. In such situations they may contaminate foods and materials to the point the goods must be discarded. Damage to books may be more direct. They eat the starch sizing in the bindings of books and along the edges of pages.
The eggs of psocids are laid singly or in clusters and are often covered with silken webs or debris. Most species pass through six nymphal stages. The entire life span from egg to adult is between thirty and sixty days.
Reduction of moisture to eliminate formation of mold is a very effective method for controlling booklice. Infested furniture, bedding, or other movable furnishings should be thoroughly cleaned and aired.
Source: ©University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Bottle Flies
Include a number of species including the common bluebottle fly, Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus) the green bottlefly, Phaenicia sericata (Meigen) and others. Adult flies are metallic blue, green, copper or black colored flies that otherwise resemble house flies in appearance. 
Other Calliphoridae include the black blow fly, Phormia regina (Meigen), and the cluster fly, Pollenia rudis (Fabricius). Larvae of cluster flies parasitize earth worms. Adult flies hibernate in homes. Species of the family, Sarcophagidae, are also found in association with carrion and excrement, although some feed on decaying vegetation or are parasitic.
One example of this family is the flesh fly, Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis Fallen (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Adults are similar to blow flies but are patterned a checkerboard (tessellated) of gray and black on the abdomen. The hair on the last antennal segment (arista) is bear or less feathery than those of Calliphoridae.
Female flies lay eggs on or near suitable habitats. Tiny maggots hatch from eggs in 6 to 48 hours.
Photo © General Exterminating, Inc.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Boxelder Bugs
The boxelder bug, Boisea trivittatis, formerly Leptocorouos trivittatis, is a true bug, of the order Hemiptera, which means half-winged. Most Hemiptera are "good bugs" that is, predators such as Aquatic Bugs, Damsel Bugs, Ambush Bugs, Assassin Bugs, etc. The boxelder bugs are sort of in the middle. They do very little damage to the trees they attack, but at certain times of the year they can become a nuisance. Boxelder bugs develop by gradual metamorphosis, from egg, to nymph, then to adult.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Brown Bat
Photo © United Exterminating Company
Brown bats, gentle and intelligent animals, ordinarily have but one pup per year. Bats suckle their young, just like other mammals. They are successful, helpful animals, usually very unobtrusive. Most people don't realize it, but the air is alive with bats every evening, even in the winter. The echo location skills of insect-eating bats are legend. They can fly and avoid obstacles that you and I can't even see. They can overtake, capture and eat insects on the wing. The brown bat scoops them up in a pocket of his wings and pops them into his mouth without missing a wingbeat. The brown bat is not “blind” either - they can actually see quite well. It's just that since they hunt insects at night, they use their own sonar for the chore.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Brown Cockroach
Brown cockroach (Periplaneta brunnea burmeister)
The Brown cockroach is often mistaken for an American cockroach . The adult is reddish-brown, but is somewhat darker in color. It is 1¼-1½ inch long. The Brown cockroach was first reported in the United States in 1907 in Illinois, but is well established in numerous states throughout the Southeast. While its distribution has grown, it is still confined to the southeastern states. The Brown cockroach occurs mainly outdoors, under the bark of trees and in sewers.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Brown Dog Tick
Adult Male (left) and Female (right)
Photo ©University of California Department of Entomology
The Brown dog tick is associated with domestic dogs, their kennels, runs, and houses. When ticks are not on a dog, they hide in cracks and crevices, often in great numbers. In the United States, brown dog ticks rarely bite people. However, houses with brown dog tick infestations may become overrun with them. It is most numerous in the southern and southwestern states and in California. The brown dog tick is a hard tick that spends all its life cycle in and near the living quarters of its host. Engorged females drop off and crawl into cracks and crevices to lay eggs. Larvae and nymphs also hide in such places and come out only when ready to feed. Dog kennels, runs,and houses may shelter hundreds of hiding ticks.
Adult males are reddish-brown, 1/12 to 1/8 inch long. Adult unengorged females resemble males. Engorged adult females may be 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. Females have gray-blue to olive bodies. The nymphs resemble adult females, but are smaller. The larvae resemble small nymphs, but have six legs. The eggs, laid in groups of thousands, show a whitish spot just before hatching, but are smooth, shiny dark brown, otherwise. After laying eggs, the shriveled female dies.
Under ideal conditions the life cycle may be completed in about two months, however, under normal conditions, with a host present, there are usually 3 to 4 generations per year. Because larval and nymphal stages can live two months without feeding, and adults can live at least eight months with no host, infestations can persist long after dogs leave the premises.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Brown Recluse
Brown Recluse Spider (Loxosceles reclusa)
Soft-bodied, yellowish-tan to dark brown, the brown recluse is about ¼ to ½-inch long and have long, delicate gray to dark brown legs covered with short, dark hairs. They have 3 pairs of eyes arranged in a semicircle on the front of the head. The recluse also has a violin-shaped marking behind the eyes. The neck of the violin points away from the head toward the abdomen.
Brown recluse spiders are most active at night and prefer dark, undisturbed areas. Like the black widow, the brown recluse is not aggressive but will bite if disturbed. Bites are rarely fatal but do require immediate attention by a physician.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Brown Widow Spiders
Photo ©F.J. Santana
Brown widow spider (Latrodectus geometricus)
Distribution Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.
Because they vary from light tan to dark brown or almost black, with variable markings of black, white, yellow, orange, or brown on the back of their abdomens, brown widows are not as easy to recognize. The underside of the abdomen, if you can see it, contains the characteristic hourglass marking. Unlike the black widow, the hourglass is orange to yellow orange in color.
Its egg sac is very different from those of the other widow spiders. Instead of the smooth white to tan surface, the outside of the egg sac is covered with pointed projections giving it the appearance of a globe with many pointed protuberances on its surface. It has also been described as tufted or fluffy looking.
Source:Philip G. Koehler Sarasota County Cooperative Extension Service.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Brown-Banded Cockroaches
The adults are rather small cockroaches about 5/8 inch long. The adult male is slender in appearance with its wings extending beyond the tip of the abdomen. Adult females have shorter wings that expose a considerable portion of their broad abdomens. They have two light yellow or cream-colored bands across their backs. These bands tend to be hidden by the wings in the adults.
The life cycle of the brown-banded cockroach takes from 95-276 days, with an average of 161 days. It prefers temperatures over 80°F; temperatures below 75°F retard its development. The egg capsule is yellowish or reddish/brown in color and is 3/16 inches in length. The female carries the egg capsule for 24 to 36 hours and then attaches it to some object. Egg capsules may be glued to desks, tables and other furniture, and even in bedding. This habit of hiding capsules in furniture probably accounts for its spread.
Brown-banded cockroaches are abundant in the southern, midwest, and northeastern states. They are mainly a temperate pest thriving in heated buildings despite cold winters. Brown-banded cockroaches are found in homes, apartments, hotels, and hospitals. They are less frequently found in stores restaurants and kitchens. They are frequently transported in furniture and will spread rapidly through an entire building. Brown-banded cockroaches are generally found on ceilings, high on walls, behind picture frames, and near motors of refrigerators and other appliances. They are also found in light switches, closets and furniture. These cockroaches dislike light and are not normally seen during the day.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Bumble Bee
Large black bees with hairy abdomens
Bumble bees are very similar in appearance to carpenter bees however, they are more closely related to honey bees in their habits. Each bumble bee nest has one queen. The queen is about the same size as the average carpenter bee, about 3/4 inch long, while the brood are smaller, about 3/8 to 1/2 inch long. Their nests are much smaller than most honey bee nests, with an average of 200 bumble bees to a nest.
Bumble bee nests are built in hollow voids in the ground or hollow trees. Occasionally they will nest in wall voids or crawl spaces in houses. Many times their nests will be found under sheds and in agricultural buildings. Each nest is started by the queen in the Spring and is only used for one season. Like other bees the females are the only ones with stingers. They rarely attack or sting unless they are prevoked or they sense their nest is in danger. They are a very beneficial insect in that they pollinate many flowers and other plants. They should not be killed unless their nests are situated where they pose a human threat.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Camel Crickets
Photo © University of Arkansas
There are several species of crickets which go by the name "camel cricket" because of their slightly humpbacked appearance. Their long legs sometimes give them a spider-like appearance. Most species of camel crickets are of no consequence, but one species, Tachycines asynamorous, frequently becomes a nuisance indoors. This species is also known as the "greenhouse stone cricket" because it is frequently found in greenhouses. Unlike most cricket species, camel crickets do not "chirp". If you are hearing chirping sounds, then you likely have field crickets, which can be controlled in the same manner, as outlined below. Outdoors, camel crickets are most commonly found in the soil, under stones and logs, or in stacks of firewood. Areas overgrown with vegetation, such as ivy and other ground covers, provide excellent hiding places (harborages). Camel crickets pass the winter as immatures (nymphs) or adults. In early spring, the females begin to lay eggs in the soil. A few weeks later, the nymphs hatch from these eggs. Nymphs looks almost identical to the adult, except that they are smaller.
Camel crickets become a problem when we have extremes in weather conditions, i.e, excessive rainfall or extended periods of hot, dry weather. Like many insect pests, camel crickets are attracted to harborage sites, i.e., cool, moist areas in and around the home. The crickets often invade storage buildings, crawlspaces, basements, garages and indoor areas where moisture may be a problem (e.g., bathrooms, laundry rooms, etc.). Although they are mostly a nuisance pest, they can damage stored items, such as garments and linens packed in boxes in a garage or basement if the problem goes unchecked for some time and the crickets cannot find suitable food.
Reference
North Carolina Extension Service
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Carpenter Ants
Photo © Geek On The Run Technology Services Long Island, NY
Click here for photo Carpenter Ants ©Herman Moxey Fidelity Exterminating
Click here for photo Carpenter Ant Queen ©Robert G. Bellinger, Clemson University Carpenter Ant (Camponotus)
These ants are large. They are a nuisance by their presence when found in parts of the home such as the kitchen, bathroom, living room, and other quarters. They do not eat wood, but remove quantities of it to expand their nest size, sometimes causing structural damage. Winged males are smaller than winged queens. Wingless queens measure 5/8 inch, winged queens 3/4 inch, large major workers 1/2 inch, and small minor workers 1/4 inch. Workers have some brown on them, while queens are black. Workers have large heads and a small thorax, while adult swarmers have a smaller head and large thorax. The petiole has one node and the profile of the thorax has an evenly rounded upper surface (workers only).
Carpenter ants normally build their nests in hollow trees, logs, posts, landscaping timbers and wood used in homes and other structures. Unlike termites, they do not feed on wood but merely use it as a place in which to build a nest. They prefer moist or partially decayed wood, frequently entering existing cavities or void areas through cracks and crevices.
The ants usually cut galleries with the grain of the wood, following the softer parts. They leave the harder wood as walls separating the tunnels. They cut openings in these walls to interconnect the galleries. Access to the outside may be through natural openings, or the ants may cut openings where none exist naturally.
Occupied galleries are kept immaculate. Shredded wood fragments from the excavations are carried from the nest and deposited outside. Cone-shaped piles of these fragments sometimes build up beneath the “windows” or other nest openings. The piles may also contain inedible parts of insects from their diet, bits of sand or soil, dead ant bodies from the colony, and gener-al debris. This “sawdust” or “frass” is not always visible, because ants may dispose of it in hollow parts of trees, void areas in structures, or unused galleries in the nest.
Carpenter ants become pests when they nest in one of the voids or damp areas in human construction, or when they forage for food in our houses. Usually, an infestation occurs when all or part of an existing colony moves into a house from outside. Ants can enter when tree branches or utility lines contact a structure; through cracks and crevices around windows and in foundation walls; through ventilation openings in the attic; and through foundation heating or air conditioning ducts.
They usually nest in wood that is very moist or previously damaged by water or termites. A colony develops best in wood with moisture content above 12 to 15 percent. This requires the wood to be wet by rain, leaks, condensation or high continuous relative humidity.
Carpenter ants can an do travel up to 100 yards from there nest site.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central.
Carpenter Bees
Large, black bees with yellow markings
Photo © United Exterminating Company
In the late-spring and early summer, homeowners often notice large, black bees hovering around the outside of their homes. These are probably carpenter bees searching for mates and favorable sites to construct their nests. 
Male Valley carpenter bee, varipuncla Patton
Male carpenter bees are quite aggressive, often hovering in front of people who are around the nests. The males are quite harmless, however, since they lack stingers. Female carpenter bees can inflict a painful sting but seldom will unless they are handled or molested. Carpenter bees resemble bumble bees, but the upper surface of their abdomen is bare and shiny black; bumble bees however, have a hairy abdomen with at least some yellow markings.
Source: University of Kentucky Entomology
Pictures © United Exterminating.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Case-Bearing Moth
Larval Case Photo ©Elland, W. Yorks
CASE-BEARING MOTH
So named because the larvae carry their pupal cases about as they feed and travel, case-bearing moths are much less likely to be found in your home than the Common Clothes moth.
Look for the faint, dark smudges on the wings of the adult. The wings have a very slight, darker, dusky appearance, compared with the clothes moth, giving it a slightly dull appearance. The eggs are visible only under a low-power microscope. The larva of the Case-Bearing moth is much more easily identified because of their cases, open on one end, and dragged about, wherever they go. The larvae only expose the first few segments, staying within their case for protection.
The larvae never leave their cases, and when ready to pupate, will seal off both ends of the case, and when the adult finally emerges, they cut through the end of the thin silken case. The Case-bearing moth is usually found around carpets and heavy woolen draperies. Case-bearing clothes moths are not that economically important, certainly not as much as the common clothes moth.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Centipede
Photo ©University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County
Centipedes have pair of poison claws behind the head and use the poison to paralyze their prey, usually small insects. However, the jaws of centipedes are weak and can rarely penetrate human skin. The rare individuals who are bitten may experience localized swelling and pain no worse than a bee sting.
The house centipede is found throughout the United States. This centipede can be found outside under stones, boards, or sticks or beneath moist leaf litter and other organic matter. When disturbed, centipedes move swiftly toward darkened hiding places. When they are found in homes, they are often found in moist basements, damp closets and in bathrooms. Centipedes require moist habitats. If they are plentiful, there may be an underlying moisture problem that should be corrected. Usually, the best thing is an exterminator.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Cicadas
Photo © 1st Choice Pest Services
Cicadas, often erroneously called locusts, usually emerge from the ground during the night, leaving finger-size holes under trees and shrubs First visual evidence is their exoskeletons that they've left clinging to the trunks and lower limbs of trees and shrubs, as well as the foundations and walls of buildings. Later, adult males screech their shrill love songs and the females prick open saw-tooth cuts in the tender bark of twigs, into which they lay their eggs.
Upon hatching, the young drop to the ground where they burrow in to spend the next couple years feeding on roots. Leaf drop, and sometimes bleeding of sap and twig die-back, occurs if egg laying wounds are severe.
Control attempts of either adult cicadas or their root feeding nymphs have not been effective nor practical, in most cases. However, net covering to protect young succulent-bark trees from egg laying injury is advisable.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Cicada Killer Wasp
Photographer: Ronald F. Billings, Texas Forest Service
Common Name: Cicada killer
Scientific Name: Sphecius speciosus (Drury)
Order: Hymenoptera
Description: These wasps reach up to 1-½ inch in length. Except for a rusty red head and thorax, they are overall black or rusty in color, with yellow band markings on the abdominal segments. They have russet colored wings.
Other sphecid wasps include digger wasps, sand wasps (Bembix sp.) and mud daubers. The tarantula hawk, Pepsis sp., (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) is about 1-1/2 inches long, black with long legs and yellow-orange wings edged in black. Spider wasps (Pompilidae) provision their nests with spiders as food for their immatures. Pepsis sp. utilizes tarantulas as food for their immatures. They sting the tarantulas and drag them into burrows in the ground.
Life Cycle: Winter is spent in the larval or pupal stage. Adults emerge in the summer, feed, mate and produce new nesting burrows. The female provisions each cell in the burrow with one or more paralyzed cicadas on which an egg is deposited, and then seals it. The larva hatches from the egg develops through several molts (instars) before pupating inside a woven, spindle-shaped brown case measuring up to 1 1/4 inch long. One generation occurs per year.
Habitat, Food Source(s):
Mouthparts are for chewing. Cicada killers nest in sandy areas, digging burrows about 6 inches deep before turning and extending another 6 or more inches. Tunnels may be branched and end in one or more globular cells. Females are solitary, each provisioning their own nests even though they appear to be nesting in a common area. Cicada killers are active during July and August, coinciding with the appearance of cicadas which they attack, sting and paralyze. They then fly, glide or drag the cicadas back to their nests, provisioning the cells in their burrows. Larvae feed only on cicadas, and the adult will feed on flower nectar.
Pest Status:
One of the largest wasps encountered; although females are capable of stinging, they are rarely aggressive towards man or animals; males are incapable of stinging, but can be more aggressive; large numbers of females nesting in localized areas such as sandy embankments can be a nuisance and cause concern because of their large size, low flight and nesting activities; nest entrances are often accompanied by a pile of soil excavated from the burrow that may disturb turfgrass.
Source: Texas Cooperative Extension Service
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Citronella Ants
Photo ©Donny Oswalt Budget Pest Control (Alabama)
Citronella Ants
Size: Up to 3/8-inch long. Color: Citronella Ants are golden yellow in color. The winged female swarmers are also golden yellow but the winged males are black.
The citronella ant is sometimes called the "large yellow ant," but its real name derives from the strong citronella odor emitted from its body. These ants are subterranean in nature. They feed on the honeydew produced by aphids and bugs, which feed on the roots of trees and other plants. The winged reproductives, called swarmers, enter buildings in early- to mid-spring. These males and females enter the home from cracks in the foundation or through subslab heating ducts. The swarmers also have the strong, characteristic citronella odor.
 Citronella ants construct their colonies within the soil under items such as logs, stones, and timbers. They also can be found in the soil under mulch next to building foundations, or underneath slab floors and in crawl spaces.
Photo © Pioneer Pest Managment 4119 Brick Schoolhouse Road Hamlin, NY
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Clover Mites
©Photo credit: Mark Ascerno
Clover Mites are reddish brown to almost black mites are about 1/16 of an inch long, and sometimes appear to be much smaller. They move very slowly.
Clover mites live in turfgrass and feed on plant fluids. They do not bite people or animals. Sometimes in the spring their populations increase rapidly and mites leave the turfgrass and climb on houses, and enter through windows. Large numbers of mites are a nuisance and leave red stains when crushed.
Once clover mites are found in your home the simplest way to get rid of them is to remove them with a vacuum or to wipe them up carefully with a damp cloth.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Cluster Flies
Cluster Fly (Pollenia rudis) is a medium-sized fly from 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch in length and black in color.
Often confused with the common House Fly, Cluster Flies are roughly the same size. Some characteristics that differentiate the Cluster Fly: they fly somewhat more slowly than the House Fly, they almost always fly toward windows on the warm side of a structure, their wings overlap almost completely when at rest.
Cluster Flies breed in the ground outside of buildings during the warm weather (late Spring into early Summer) using earthworms as a food source for the immature larva (maggots). The flies later pupate (go into the cocoon stage) and then later hatch as adult flies. In temperate areas, often in late August, these flies begins to migrate indoors finding any small cracks or crevices that permit entry into structures. These may include areas around window frames, door frames or eaves. Entry tends to be on the same, warm, sunny side (often the southern or western exposure) of the structure as the flies later emerge from.
During the Fall, Winter or Spring months, these flies may emerge - particularly on warm, sunny days. The flies appear at windows buzzing and "clustering" around those areas. This fly can become a problem in virtually any structure.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Common Clothes Moth
COMMON CLOTHES MOTH
First of all, the adult stage (the moth) does no damage to fabrics or any other materials. In fact, during it's adult stage, it eats or consumes no food, living on what it consumes during the larval stage. It is this larval stage that this insect causes any damage by feeding on natural materials, wrapping itself in an open and chaotic web-mat of silk. Larvae are not
normally visible or obvious in their day to day activities. The silk is produced by a gland just under the head from a special spinneret. Larvae may reach a size of almost a half inch and incorporate their rather large fecal pellets into their web-like mass. The fecal pellets are often mistaken for "eggs."
Adult females lay their eggs, all within a couple of days, fertilized or not, on substances that will support the larval stages. Unfertilized eggs, of course, do not hatch, but fertilized eggs will hatch, in a matter of days, depending on the temperature, and the larva will then crawl away and hide. Larvae molt some four times before they construct a cocoon to pupate. Cast-off pupal skins can often be seen protruding from cocoons.
The Common Clothes moth, in the larval stage, is the most important pest of Man's natural materials, far more than the Case-bearing moth, which looks quite like the Clothes moth. And yes, these pests can go from life cycle to life cycle, right in your house, in your closet or attic.
To minimize the chance of either of these pests, have your natural material (wool, linens, etc.) dry cleaned after each use. DON'T put them away "dirty." Clothes moths prefer to dine on materials with traces of body oils, perspiration and urine, so if your items are absolutely clean, you'll worry less. Our bodies constantly exude minute amounts of these attractive chemical tags, and just ONE wearing is enough to attract these pests. The larvae can leave large holes in natural materials.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Confused Flour Beetle
Stored Product Pest
Click here for photo Photo ©H. A. Turney Texas A&M University
CONFUSED FLOUR BEETLE
Flour beetles, most notably the Confused flour beetle and the Red flour beetle look very much alike. A ten power glass is needed to tell the difference. Slender, beetle-looking things, they are reddish-brown and about an eighth of an inch long - about the size of a grain of rice. Both are major pests of flour and flour products. They cannot penetrate nor feed on whole grains, but can be found in virtually any other processed food product. This includes anything manufactured with flour products, dried fruit, spices, chocolate products and even tobacco products. This is the pest you find most often in those too-old cake mix boxes.
Adult females will deposit as many as three or four of their sticky white eggs, per day, in the product itself, or in the cracks and crevices of packaging materials. They can produce as many as 400 to 500 eggs in their rather long lifetime. Eggs hatch in about two weeks and the tan colored larvae go through as many as 12 molts, reaching adult stage in about a month. Ideal conditions produce as many as six or seven generations in a year.
Any product infested with these pests acquires a rather distinct odor (and flavor) as a result of secretions from their very active scent glands. These two flour beetles are quite common.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Cottonwood Borer
Photo © 1st Choice Pest Services
The cottonwood borer ranges throughout the eastern Unites States, but highest populations and greatest damage occur in the South. It attacks cottonwood and willow. Trees weakened by severe infestations may be broken off by wind. Damage is sometime serious in cottonwood nurseries, natural stands, and plantations, particularly those planted offsite.
Adult beetles are 1 to 1 1/5 inches (25 to 38 mm) long and about 1/2 inch (12 mm) wide. They are black with lines of cream-colored hair forming irregular black patches. The larvae are seldom seen. Adults appear in midsummer. After feeding briefly, they descend to the bases of host trees where the female deposits her eggs in small pits gnawed in the bark.
Eggs hatch in 16 to 18 days. The larvae bore downward in the inner bark, entering a large root by autumn. Pupation occurs in the gallery from April to June and lasts about 3 weeks. The new adults chew exit holes through the sides of the pupal chambers and emerge through the soil. Some larvae complete development in 1 year, while others require 2 years.
 Larvae feeding in rootstock
Photographer: James Solomon, USDA Forest Service
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Crazy Ants
Crazy Ant(Paratrechina longicornis)
These ants will feed on sweets and kitchen scraps, but prefer to feed on animal matter and insects such as fly larvae and adults. Ants present the appearance of running aimlessly about a room, and thus, named "crazy." Workers are about 1/10 inch long, with slender long legs, dark brown to black in color, one node petiole, the profile of the thorax not evenly rounded and the abdomen tip has a circular fringe of hairs.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Dampwood Termites
Dampwood termites are found in Pacific and adjacent states, the desert or semi-arid southwest, and southern Florida
They invade damp, sometimes decaying, wood, such as logs, stumps, and dead trees that are still standing. One species is found in the dead limbs of living trees. Dampwood termites move into buildings where wood is in contact with the ground, or where there is a leaky pipe or other source of continual moisture.
Dampwood termite nymphs are up to 3/4 in long, swarmers up to 1 in (25mm) long.
Most of these species are larger than the eastern/western/subterranean termites
Pellets are about 1/32 in (1 mm) long, the color of the wood being eaten. They have a long oval shape, like those of drywood termites but with the six sides flattened. However, they may be round or sphere shaped if the wood is very moist.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Deer Ticks
Photo by Scott Bauer
Deer tick, Ixodes scapularis
Deer ticks are small, dark-colored ticks sometimes called seed ticks. Deer ticks feed mostly on deer, cattle, and other large animals, but they will feed on people when they get a chance. These ticks are found along paths, trails, and roadways.
Deer ticks are in the genus Ixodes, and there are several species of Ixodes that carry the Lyme disease bacteria in their systems. Lyme disease has become a notable tick-borne disease in some eastern states. It is an affliction that occurs in the summer months. This tick-transmitted bacterial disease is most likely to be contracted during the months of June through September. It is spreading rapidly, and is now the most frequently diagnosed tick-transmitted illness in the United States. Lyme disease is also becoming a veterinary problem. Dogs and horses in areas where the disease is common have developed joint problems that veterinarians believe to be caused by Lyme bacteria.
Source: Virginia Cooperative Extension
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Dermestid Beetles
Pantry Pest
Source: Scarafaggio.com, Plain talk about pests and pest control
Dermestid beetles are a large group of primarily carnivorous beetles that include larder beetles, carpet beetles and cabinet beetles. Unlike most other stored product pests, dermestid beetles prefer meat-based foods like pet foods, soup bases, and beef jerky. They also commonly infest non-food items such as furs, wool carpeting, and cashmere sweaters; and sometimes become a secondary pest when they feed on the feathers or fur of dead birds or other animals trapped in structures.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Drain Flies
Drain flies (also called sewer or moth flies) breed in the slime that accumulates in little-used or defective drains or soil lines. If you think you have drain flies, leave an overturned water glass over the drain and see if they accumulate overnight.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Drugstore Beetles
Stored Product Pest
DRUGSTORE BEETLES
The adults, the ones you will usually see, are small, about an eighth of an inch long, light brown or even red in color and have a "humpback" appearance. They look almost identical to the Cigarette beetle. The wing covers of the Drugstore beetle have distinct grooves running from front to back. Cigarette beetles have smooth wing covers. Larvae of Drugstore beetles are hairless, the Cigarette beetle larvae look like they have a fuzzy coat.
Drugstore beetles feed on all kinds of foods and spices, including leather and furs, hair, drugs and books. Depending on conditions, they can have as many as four generations per year. Normally, however, they have one generation per year in residential situations, so they are rather long-lived.
The females lay their eggs in singles, in the product they are infesting. The larval stage can last as long as five months, followed by a relatively short period of less than three weeks in the pupal stage.
Infested food products should be discarded, other materials, such as books and manuscripts can be fumigated.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Earwigs
Adult European Earwig - Female & Male
Earwigs (Fozficula auzicularia) are common insects which occur in or about homes, yards, and gardens. Earwigs cause concern because of their appearance but they are harmless, cannot sting, and are not able to bite or pinch hard enough to cause any injury to the skin of people.
The European earwig is dark reddish-brown with a reddish head, about 1/2 to 1 inch long and is easily recognized by the prominent forceps or pincers at the rear. The young are much like the adults. In the spring, the female lays a batch of about 30 eggs in cells beneath the soil surface. The eggs are brooded by the female. After hatching, the female stays with the nymphs, keeping the nest tightly closed to prevent their escape. After molting once, the young nymphs disperse.
Four nymphal stages occur before adult maturity is reached in 68 or more days. There is usually only one generation per year. Earwigs eat almost anything they can chew but prefer plant food and may cause damage to garden plants. Earwigs hide in large numbers in the yard under stones, boards, mats, boxes, newspapers, and in the crotches of trees. They invade homes, infest bedrooms and closets. the adults are winged and can fly, but rarely do so. They are active mainly at night.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Eastern Grey Squirrels
Grey squirrels populate a large part of the United States and Europe too. They are, of course, a rodent, one that is used to people, finding many suitable areas to build a den in or on man’s structures - including your attic. Squirrels will cause damage to these structures, if left alone, so it is best to exclude them from these areas.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Eastern Subterranean Termites
Click here for photo Subterranean termites ©Herman Moxey Fidelity Exterminating
Eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes
Subterranean termites, in natural settings, work as beneficial insects by breaking down cellulose-containing materials, such as dead trees. They live in the soil and must maintain contact with the ground or some other moisture source to survive. Termites become a problem to humans when structures containing cellulose are built over or near their colonies in the ground. They are able to find weakened areas in the structure, or areas of direct wood-to-ground contact, and feed on the cellulose. Termites build earthen shelter tubes from the ground into the structure for protection from predators and to help maintain a moist environment. Many times these tubes are built on inside walls, porches or chimneys where they cannot be seen.
In some rare situations, if water and wood are available from a source other than the soil, subterranean termites can establish a colony with no ground contact. Isolated, above-ground infestations may occur in buildings where termites have access to water from condensation, leaking pipes, roofs or other sources.
Termites are social insects that live in highly organized colonies. Like many insects, termites have an egg, an immature and an adult stage. There are three main types of adult colony members, or castes: reproductives, workers and soldiers. The reproductives include the king and queen, and in large colonies, supplementary reproductives that produce eggs. Workers are usually the most numerous individuals in the colony. They are small, wingless and whitish and may be found in damaged wood. Workers care for all of the other termites and forage for food (wood). The soldiers protect the colony from attackers such as ants.
Soldiers fit the same description as workers, but have long, dark mouthparts protruding from their large heads. Soldiers may also be found in damaged wood. Termites are able to digest wood with the help of microorganisms which live in the termite gut.
When a colony is several years old and relatively large, it may produce another form of adult termite called a "swarmer." Swarmers have four wings, are often brown or black and range in size from approximately 3/8 to ¼ inch. Swarmers are the termite’s way of sending out new kings and queens to start colonies. In the spring, great numbers of swarmers can fly from a single colony. Male and female swarmers pair up, shed their wings and tunnel into the ground. The pair then prepare a chamber near a wood source where the female will begin to lay eggs. These eggs are cared for by the king and queen and will develop into worker termites. The workers take over care of the young from the queen and king. Once enough workers are established, soldiers and other castes will develop from eggs produced by the queen. Two or three years after the establishment of the colony, secondary reproductives are produced. These greatly increase the egg-laying activity and population of the colony. Normally at least three to four years or more will pass before any swarming of winged termites from the colony occurs.
Swarmers are the most visible form of termite. These termites can be confused with many ants that also swarm in the spring. However, swarming ants have elbowed antennae, a narrow waist and front wings that are longer than the back wings. Swarming termites have straight antennae, a thick waist and all wings the same length.
Source:Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. European hornets
The European hornet, an introduced species, is the only true hornet in the United States. A large, orange colored insect, it is almost an inch long. These insects fly at night and are attracted to lights and lighted windows. They build nests in protected areas, such as wall voids, attics, tree holes and roof cavities. They have large stingers with large poison sacs, although they are not as aggressive as other wasps. They are an annual insect, all the workers die at the end of the year and the next year’s nest is started by a surviving queen. These insects can cause damage to ornamental shrubs by stripping the bark, girdling the twigs, to get the resulting sap. Control is directly to the nest entrance, at night.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Field crickets
Photo ©Paul M. Choate, University of Florida
Field crickets (Acheta assimilis) are found throughout the United States and southern Canada. They live in or on the ground in bushes, and feed on plant parts or animal matter. They are mostly nocturnal, and males are heard singing on summer nights. They may invade structures when the grasses dry out or during periods of cricket abundance. Field crickets are apparently not able to adapt themselves to conditions in houses and eventually die.
Recognition:
Field crickets have large heads, with long threadlike antennae and spear-shaped ovipositors. They vary in length from 3/5 to 1 inch. The color is usually dark brown to gray to black, but occasionally light brown specimens are seen. This species flies and jumps well. Wings are fully developed. Hearing organs occur on both sides of the front tibia. Their "music" is made by vibrating the upper wings against each other. Only the adult male makes the chirping noise. Females and young are unable to chirp.
Life Cycle
Field crickets lay their eggs singly at shallow depths in the ground in late August and September. They may lay anywhere from 150 to 400 eggs. Most of the eggs overwinter in the ground and hatch in May and June. The newly hatched cricket can walk, run and jump immediately. It passes through from 8 to 10 stages of growth (instars) before becoming an adult in 78 to 90 days. Hibernation occurs in the egg stage and, to a lesser degree, in the nymphal stage in the 5th and 6th instars. Adults appear in July and August, mate, and usually die when the first cold weather sets in.
Field crickets can damage ornamental plants and shrubs. In homes, they damage textiles (cotton, linen, wool, and silk) as well as fur. Clothing and paper, especially if stained or soiled, are liable to injury. Even nylon, wood, plastic, leather, and thin rubber goods can be damaged.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Fire Ants
Photo by Scott Bauer.
The notorious Red Imported Fire Ants , the American South's "ant from hell," was accidentally introduced into the port of Mobile, Alabama, sometime in the 1930's. Its native range is northern Argentina and southern Brazil, and the first immigrant colonies probably made their ways north as stowaways on cargo ships. The species then spread throughout the southern United States, where today its vast populations of fiercely stinging workers make it a major pest.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Firebrats
Firebrats. Thermobia domestica, belong to a primitive group of insects of characteristic appearance, being flattened and carrot-shaped, broad near the head end and tapering toward the rear. They are scaly and wingless and have long slender antennae. Three long slender appendages occur at the rear of the body and give this group the common name of "bristletails".
Firebrats are mottled grayish brown, about ½ inch long.
Firebrat females lay up to 50 eggs in cracks and crevices. Because of the warmth, the eggs hatch in 12-13 days. Nymphs are sexually mature in two to four months and full grown in a year. Adults may live up to two years.
Firebrats prefer very warm areas indoors where temperatures are above 90 F. Indoors they are usually found near heating units, fireplaces, and steam or hot water pipes if these areas are not too dry. Firebrats require some moisture. Both species feed upon starches and proteins, such as fabrics, paper, starches, glue, books and other household furnishings. They leave yellowish stains, especially on linens.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Fleas
Order of insects called Siphonaptera, which means wingless siphon.
Fleas are one of the more important groups of insect pests because they not only cause discomfort by biting, but they can transmit several diseases.
Cat fleas are found throughout the United States and the rest of the world. Adults about 1/8". Wings lacking. Body laterally flattened (side to side). Color brownish black to black. Females lay 4-8 eggs after each blood meal, laying some 400-500 during their lifetime. Eggs are oval, whitish, and about 1/64" long. They usually hatch in 1-12 days. Flea larvae feed on organic debris but almost all require dried fecal blood in order to complete development; they do not bite but feed on adult flea fecal blood. Larvae require high relative humidity (45-95º:.) Adults usually begin to seek a blood meal on the second day after emergence, but can live for several months on stored body fat. Once on a host, they tend to spend all of their time on the host, feeding, mating, and laying eggs, unless dislodged.
Although they have a preferred host, they will readily bite people and can survive using other species as hosts. Depending on conditions, they can survive up to a year. It is not necessary to have pets in the building in order to have fleas present.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. Formosan Subterranean Termites
Photo by ©Scott Bauer
The Formosan subterranean termite is native to China. It has been introduced into Japan, Guam, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Hawaii, and the continental United States. In 1965, it was first discovered in the continental United States at a Houston, Texas, shipyard. In 1966, well established colonies of the Formosan subterranean termite were discovered in New Orleans and Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Houston and Galveston, Texas. In 1967, it was found in Charleston, South Carolina. Well-established colonies were detected in Florida in 1980, 1982, and 1984 (Oi et al. 1992).
Ships have facilitated the introduction and spread of the Formosan subterranean termite throughout the world. Once introduced, swarming is the termite's natural method of spread. Since the Formosan subterranean termite is a weak flier and does not spread rapidly by itself, the movement of infested soil or material such as lumber, wooden crates, or other wooden products is another important method by which it spreads. These termites are commonly associated with the railroad ties used for landscaping.
In the United States, the Formosan subterranean termite generally has been confined to the southeast at about 32.5oN latitude. This latitude coincides with the warmer temperatures usually associated with this termites. However, the widespread use of central heating in the United States may encourage the spread of the Formosan subterranean termite. Central heating provides a warm environment conducive to the survival of termites during winter.
Major swarms of the Formosan subterranean termite begin in May or June and last until about July or August. On humid, still evenings, usually around dusk, large numbers of swarming alates can be seen around light sources. They are attracted to light.
After a short flight, alates drop to the ground, shed their wings, and pair off. If they successfully find a small crevice containing moist wood, the pair forms a chamber and lays eggs. It usually takes 3 to 5 years to develop a mature colony. A mature colony can contain between 1 to 10 million termites, and its foraging territory may cover 38,500 square feet.
Like other termites, Formosan subterranean termites feed on cellulose. Cellulose is the major component in wood and paper products. In addition to feeding of the wood in our homes, they have attacked more than 47 species of living plants including citrus, wild cherry, cherry laurel, sweet gum, cedar, willow, wax myrtle, Chinese elm, and white oak. Formosan subterranean termites attack the bases of poles, old tree stumps, or other wood in contact with soil. They can construct galleries to the upper stories of buildings to feed on the wood.
Formosan subterranean termites have also been known to attack (but not eat) non-cellulose material such as thin sheets of soft metal (lead or copper), asphalt, plaster, mortar, creosote, rubber, and plastic in search of food and moisture. However, their highly publicized ability to chew through concrete is a fallacy. Instead of chewing through the concrete, Formosan subterranean termites are uncanny in finding small cracks in concrete that they use as foraging routes.
Formosan subterranean termite nests are made of "carton" that consists of chewed wood, saliva, and excrement. Nests can be constructed in the ground or aerially (no ground connection). Auxiliary nests are often constructed in the food source, tightly filling wall voids or chimneys. Formosan subterranean termites can produce tightly packed, massive carton nests. Native subterranean nests generally are more loosely constructed and smaller.
Reference
Faith M. Oi, Former Extension Entomologist, Assistant Professor Thomas G. Shelton, Graduate Research Assistant Auburn University Fruit Flies
Fruit flies (Drosophila)are generally brought in with fruit you purchase from the grocery store. They are also attracted to any fermentation process, such as coke syrup, garbage or rotting foods. Fruit flies are also attracted to vinegar and wine, a good test you can use to see if it’s fruit flies you are having a problem with. They also have red eyes, often easy to see.
Mexican fruit fly Photo by Jack Dykinga.
Information courtesy of IPCO pest and insect information central. | |