Carpenter Ants | Pavement Ants | Cockroaches | House Mice | Brown Recluse Spider | Fleas | Termites | House Spiders

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants get their name because they excavate wood in order to build their nests. Their excavation results in smooth tunnels inside the wood. Carpenter ants range in size from one-quarter inch for a worker ant to up to three-quarters inch for a queen.

Habits

All species mainly attack wood that is or has been wet and damaged by mold. Even though these ants first invade wet, decayed wood, they may soon begin building paths through dry, undamaged wood. They usually come into buildings through cracks around doors, windows, or through holes for wires. They will also crawl along overhead wires, shrubs, or tree limbs that touch the building far above the ground.

Habitat

Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources, including tree stumps, firewood or landscaping. They need a constant water source to survive. They will enter homes through wet, damaged wood.

 

Threats

Carpenter ants damage wood through their nest building. If they gain entry to a structure, they pose a property threat.

 

Prevention

Because carpenter ants require a water source, eliminate sources of moisture or standing water. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house. Sometimes pests use these branches to get into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or little openings around the bottom of your house. Sometimes pests use these to get into your home. Make sure that firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home. Pests like to build nests in stacks of wood.

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Pavement Ants

Pavement ants get their name because they make their nests in or under cracks in pavement. They can infest structures.

 

Habits

These ants will eat almost anything, including insects, seeds, honeydew, honey, bread, meats, nuts and cheese.

 

Habitat

These ants live in or under pavement cracks.

 

Threats

These ants do not pose a public health risk, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided.

 

Prevention

Eliminate standing water. Pests, such as ants, are attracted to moisture. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house. Sometimes pests use these branches to get into your home.* Make sure that there are no cracks or little openings around your house. Sometimes pests use these to get into your home. Make sure that firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home. Pests like to build nests in stacks of wood.

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Cockroach

The American cockroach is the largest of the house-infesting cockroach.

 

Habits

American cockroaches are found in food processing areas and food storage areas, as well as other types of buildings. They are active when the temperature is 70 degrees or higher, but they can survive lower temperatures with the right conditions.

 

Habitat

American cockroaches are often found in sewers and basements, particularly around pipes and drains.

 

Threats

Cockroaches have been reported to spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms, and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens. They can pick up germs on the spines of their legs and bodies as they crawl through decaying matter or sewage and then carry these into food or onto food surfaces. Germs that cockroaches eat from decaying matter or sewage are protected while in their bodies and may remain infective for several weeks longer than if they had been exposed to cleaning agents, rinse water, or just sunlight and air. A recent medical studies have shown that cockroach allergens cause lots of allergic reactions in inner city children. They were even shown to cause asthma in children. These allergens build up in deposits of droppings, secretions, cast skins, and dead bodies of roaches. 

 

Prevention

Good sanitation and habitat reduction, along with vacuuming, surveillance, a baiting program, and some sealing of cracks can usually quickly reduce or eliminate a cockroach population.

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House Mice

The house mouse is the most common rodent pest in most parts of the world. It can breed rapidly and adapt quickly to changing conditions.

Habits

House mice can breed throughout the year and can share nests.

Habitat

House mice live in structures, but they can live outdoors.

Threats

Micro droplets of mouse urine can cause allergies in children. Mice can also bring fleas, mites, ticks and lice into your home.

Prevention

To keep mice and other rodents out, make sure all holes of larger diameter than a pencil are sealed. Mice can squeeze through spaces as small as a nickel. Seal any cracks and voids. Don't overlook proper drainage at the foundation and always install gutters or diverts which will channel water away from the building.

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Brown Recluse Spider

Brown recluse spiders have a characteristic dark brown violin marking on their back.

 

Habits

Brown recluse spiders are nocturnal and eat other bugs like cockroaches and crickets. Male brown recluse spiders wander farther than females and will crawl into shoes or other clothing.

 

Habitat

Brown recluse spiders often live outdoors in debris and wood piles. They can be found indoors in storage areas and dark recesses.

 

Threats

Like the black widow spider, the brown recluse spider bites in defense and does not bite humans instinctively. They will bite humans when the clothing they are hiding in is worn. The brown recluse spider bite is painful and can produce an open, ulcerating sore.

 

Prevention

To avoid brown recluse spiders, avoid keeping clothing on the floor. Store clothing and shoes inside plastic containers, and shake out all clothing that has been in a hamper before wearing or washing.

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Fleas

Fleas are parasites that feed on the blood of any warm-blooded body. The most common species is the cat flea, which often feasts on cats, dogs and humans.

 

Habits

Fleas transport themselves on rodents and other mammals. They infest both household pests and wild animals. Fleas use their powerful legs to jump as high as 8 inches vertically and 16 inches horizontally.

 

Habitat

Fleas usually remain on their warm-blooded hosts at all times. They can also be found on shoes, pant legs, or blankets, which can transfer the fleas to new environments. They are often found infesting opossums, raccoons, and skunks in urban settings.

 

Threats

Fleas are the most common transmitter of the rare Bubonic Plague. They also transmit the bacterial disease murine typhus to humans through infected rats. Their saliva can cause serious Flea Alergy Dermatitus in pets, and their debris has been reported to cause similar allergic reactions in humans. Fleas can also transfer tapeworms and cause anemia in pets. Flea bites commonly cause painful, itchy red bumps.

 

Prevention

Clean and vacuum frequently to help remove flea populations and prevent the laying of eggs. Keep your lawn groomed to avoid rodent habitation. Protect pets by keeping them on a leash when outside, bathing and grooming pets regularly, visiting a veterinarian annually, and using flea treatments according to direction. It is important to hire a pest professional.

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Termites

Subterranean termites live in underground colonies or in moist secluded areas aboveground that can contain up to 2 million members. They build distinctive "mud tubes" to gain access to food sources and to protect themselves from open air. Termite colonies are organized into castes depending on tasks -- workers, soldiers and reproductives. The characteristics of a subterranean termite are dependent on the termite's role in the colony. Cream-colored Worker subterranean termites are 1/8 to 3/8's of an inch in length. Soldier subterranean termites are of a similar body length, but are distinguished by their powerful mandibles. Solider termites have cream-colored bodies and brown heads. Reproductive subterranean termites are approximately one inch long.

 

Habits

Subterranean termites live underground and build tunnels, referred to as mud tubes, to reach food sources. Like other termite species, they feed on products containing cellulose. Subterranean termites swarm in the spring -- groups of reproductive termites go off to start new colonies.

 

Habitat

Subterranean termites need contact with the soil to survive and live underground. They can build tunnels through cracks in concrete.

 

Threats

Subterranean termites are by far the most destructive species. They can collapse a building.

 

Prevention

Avoid water accumulation near your home's foundation. Divert water away with properly functioning downspouts, gutters and splash blocks. Reduce humidity in crawl spaces with proper ventilation. Never bury wood scraps or waste lumber in the yard. Most importantly, eliminate wood contact with the soil. Maintain a one-inch gap between the soil and wood portions of the building.  It is important to hire a pest professional.

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House spiders

 

Size

House spiders (American house spiders, domestic spiders) have an adult female body length of about 3/16 to 5/16 in (5-8 mm), including abdomen. The adult male is smaller.

 

Characteristics

Rounded abdomen in female; elongated abdomen in male.

 

Color

House spiders have a yellowish brown carapace. Abdomen is dirty white with a few dark spots, or sometimes even a triangular spot, to almost black with several dark stripes in a V-shape, like army sergeant stripes. Male has orange legs, female has banded yellow legs.

 

Where found

The American house spider, house spider or domestic spider is found throughout the world, and is common throughout the United States and Canada.

 

Comparison with other species

Other species of Achaearanea do not have V-shaped markings on the abdomen. Other spider species do not have serrated bristles on the last tarsal segment of their 4th pair of legs, nor do they have 8 eyes with 2 lateral pairs almost touching.

 

Habitat

Outside in protected places, around windows and under eaves with some light to attract prey; inside in garages, sheds, barns, warehouses, in corners and closets, under furniture.

 

Food

Insects, but spiders can go for weeks or months without eating.

 

Damage

Dust collects in their many webs, built in trial and error fashion.

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