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Pest Control Problems During the Spring

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Spring is the time of year when flowers bloom, babies are born, and new pests start to invade. The sad part about spring for homeowners is that pests become a big problem. Like new vegetation and new babies, there are new pests. Some may have been hibernating for the winter, while others can’t survive the cold of the winter, and still others are just more of the same pests from last season.

Spring Pest Control Problems.

Spring brings beautiful flowers, but it often brings out many insects who like to feed on these flowers.

So while some pests have gone away for the winter and did not seem to be much of a problem they will be back in action now that it’s spring.

Homeowners need to be extra cautious inside their homes during spring cleaning as many pests are awakening from their winter hibernation. Moving boxes and other items stored away for the winter you may discover pests or evidence of pests. Be extremely cautious as some of these pests can bite or sting if they are disturbed.

One reason for the increase in pest activity is that spring is reproduction season. Pests will want to get back outdoors, because many of them will not reproduce within a home and they need to start that process outside in a more natural environment.

Within a few weeks people will start to see populations double or triple as pests will be reproducing at high rates, and remember some pests reproduce many multiples of eggs at once. This becomes a problem because there will be more pests to get rid of. Make sure to call your local pest control agency to come out and help with the problem.

Spring Pest Control Problems

Even cacti will bloom flowers. Many rodents and insects will use cacti as a place to live so be very cautious around cacti.

Another reason pest problems rise in the spring is the new vegetation that is growing and blooming. This is a huge attraction for pests. Hornets, wasps and bees particularly like the fresh pollen on flowers. People will see an increase of these pests wherever flowers can be found. If you have flowers on your property, especially near your home, be extra cautious. Like many other pests, bees don’t like to be disturbed and if they are, they will go into attack mode. Also the new vegetation is a food source for many other pests and insects.

Not only is the new vegetation tempting, but any old vegetation left over from winter such as rotting citrus or compost, can attract pests. Make sure to monitor anything that you are growing, as some pests can be good for plants etc. while others can be bad. If you have bushes, trees, or plants growing make sure to maintain their growth. Homeowners do not want to let them grow wild, as many trees and plants are used by pests for homes and traveling paths. Keep them trimmed, and most importantly make sure no leaves, branches, etc. are touching the house, roof, or surrounding walls.

These steps are basic prevention tips to help keep most pests from getting inside your home. Some homeowners will go as far as having a low maintenance yard. For instance, you may decide to not have trees or bushes. But there are other ways to keep a low maintenance yard and still have some vegetation. Check out our prevention tips to help maintain your home from being an open door to pests. These steps can also be used year-round, which is extremely helpful so that come spring your home is already set to prevent any pests from getting in. Following is a list of the most common spring pests by state:

If you do not see the state you reside in on this list please check back as more states are still being added to our database. Also the database is still adding more and more pests, so if you have a problem with a pest and don’t see it listed in the database please continue to visit www.localpestcontrolservices.com as pests are continually being added.

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Alaska Pest Control, Arizona Pest Control, Arkansas Pest Control, California Pest Control, Colorado Pest Control, Connecticut Pest Control, Delaware Pest Control, Distric of Columbia, Florida Pest Control, Georgia Pest Control, Hawaii Pest Control, Idaho Pest Control, Illinois Pest Control, Indiana Pest Control, Iowa Pest Control, Kansas Pest Control, Kentucky Pest Control, Louisiana Pest Control, Maine Pest Control, Maryland Pest Control, Massachusetts Pest Control, Michigan Pest Control, Minnesota Pest Control, Mississippi Pest Control, Missouri Pest Control, Montana Pest Control, Nebraska Pest Control, Nevada Pest Control, New Hampshire Pest Control, New Jersey Pest Control, New Mexico Pest Control, New York Pest Control, North Carolina Pest Control, North Dakota Pest Control, Ohio Pest Control, Oklahoma Pest Control, Oregon Pest Control, Pennsylvania Pest Control, Rhode Island Pest Control, Seasonal Pest Problems, South Carolina Pest Control, South Dakota Pest Control, Spring Pest Control Problems, Tennessee Pest Control, Texas Pest Control, Utah Pest Control, Vermont Pest Control, Virginia Pest Control, Washington Pest Control, West Virginia Pest Control, Wisconsin Pest Control, Wyoming Pest Control | 1 Comment »

Ant: Fire Ants

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Fire ants are one of the most aggressive species of ants. Many people can attest to this as people are often bitten by fire ants. Fire ants usually bite people because their mounds (the large piles of dirt we always see on sidewalk or in lawns) are threatened.

ant fire ants

Here is a very large fire ant mound.

Mounds can range from about 15-inches long and up to five feet deep. The fire ants actually live inside these mounds and are very protective of their home because it’s their colony. If a person appears to be a threat to the mound the fire ants will attack and bite.

These small ants range from one-eighth of an inch to one-fourth of an inch long. They are dark reddish brown to black, and their abdomens are darker than the rest of their body. Like other types of ants they all have roles as either Queens, drones, or workers.

ant fire ants

Fire ants are not bright red as many people assume. They're a dark reddish tone, and their abdomen is always darker in color.

The fire ant workers are typically smaller in general than the Queens and the drones. Also, like other ants the workers are what keep the colony alive. Workers forage for food, protect the mound, take care of the Queen, and take care of the larvae and pupa. For the most part workers make up the bulk of the population of the colonies, which can be anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000 fire ants. Within the colonies there can be differences from their neighboring colonies. Some colonies have one Queen, while others have multiple Queens.

Even though the Queen is the one in charge, many colonies are fine with having more than one Queen and these colonies seem to be a little less aggressive compared to single Queen colonies. Often times fire ant colonies are built near each other, possibly even on the same piece of land. Multiple Queen colonies usually have their mounds closer to other multiple Queen colonies unlike single Queen colonies where they are known for going to battle with neighboring colonies over the land and territory.

Fire ant colonies/mounds are found in places like large open areas such as lawns, parks, meadows, fields and underneath things. They also like to build mounds against the foundation of buildings and often times peoples homes. With some mounds being close to homes there is a slight chance that the fire ants will go inside, but most often they like to remain outside in the wide open areas.

Although on the rare occasion that fire ants do get inside it is because they are looking for food and or water. This can happen when people do not keep a clean home, there is a moisture problem, or there are openings within the foundation of the home or anywhere else on the outside of the home.

Another problem that comes with fire ants liking these areas to live is the danger they pose to the other animals already living there. There have been many cases where fire ants have attacked pets, livestock, and wild animals that live in, or are passing through these areas. Because there can be so many fire ants in one area they can cause a lot of damage to an animal. It is best to have a professional pest control company come and check your property for any fire ant mounds, as animals can be outside and accidentally step in a mound and then get attacked. Farmers also have this same problem, and even worse the ants can cause damage to the crops as they will feed on the vegetables or fruits that are growing.

Fire ants will eat pretty much anything so be careful. Another thing to think about is at parks; make sure you don’t set up a picnic near any mounds, as fire ants will travel up to 100 feet from their mound in search of food. When it comes to eating, ants cannot eat solids, everything has to be in liquid form. Also fire ants regurgitate food. This is done in order to share food, and to feed the larvae and pupa. The workers are the ones that will do this task, as they take care of the colony.

This task is constantly being done, as Queens lay hundreds of eggs. In one day a Queen can lay up to 1,500 eggs. From there the eggs either become fertilized or not. The unfertilized eggs develop into winged males, drones. The drones will mate with new Queens; the new Queens come from the fertilized eggs. Also workers come from fertilized eggs. This process is how the population of a fire ant colony can get so high, and it peaks during the summer time. Once the eggs become larvae they develop into pupa and from pupa they will develop into adults. From this point they will either be given a duty as a worker or be a new Queen and mate, after mating the male will die. This whole process takes 25 to 45 days, and is never ending.

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Arizona Pest Control, Arkansas Pest Control, Fire Ants, Florida Pest Control, General Information, Georgia Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Kansas Pest Control, Kentucky Pest Control, Louisiana Pest Control, Pests, Spring Pest Control Problems | 2 Comments »

Centipede: The House Centipede

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Centipedes are a gross thing to find in your house. Many times people find them near a water source, like a drain or a toilet. People usually assume that the centipede got there by crawling up through the drain pipe, but that actually is not true. Although centipedes do live in damp areas, they do not crawl around through pipes.

centipede house centipede

Looks like this centipede is trying to get off this chair. Notice how longs their legs are, yikes!

Centipedes are flat looking, and sometimes seem to be slimy. Their coloring is brown to gray, and have stripes on their body. They can be up to two inches long, and on that long body are even longer legs. The centipede has 15 pairs of long legs, equaling 30 legs on their whole body. Their legs are white banded. The pair of legs at the end of the body is the longest out of all 15 pairs; and, this last pair of legs is also antennae.

Even though the centipede isn’t the prettiest pest to look at it actually can be beneficial to have in or near your house. Centipedes eat other small insects like cockroaches, spiders, insect’s larvae, and flies. By eating these types of insects they are getting rid of the other pests, this can be a good thing for homeowners. Centipedes will usually come out to hunt for food in the evening and night time because they are nocturnal.

While inside a home the centipedes really do not cause damage. Also the centipede is harmless to people. It is very rare that a person would get bit by a centipede. They do have a pincher, but they are used for attacking prey and eating. If a centipede were to bite a person there would be some swelling and a stinging pain, but again being bitten by a centipede rarely happens.

The places to keep your eye out for centipedes are anywhere that is dark and or damp. If there are centipedes in your house they are usually found in places like, basements, bathrooms, closets, cabinets, cracks, crevices, garages, and or under firewood. So keep a look out! Although there are some things to do inside your home to help keep centipedes away like cleaning as much as possible and keeping areas dry, especially the areas where centipedes are most often found. A couple other things that will work to help get rid of centipedes are getting rid of their food supply, i.e. other small pests. So have your local pest control company come out regularly to service your house. Also you can lay sticky traps around your house to help catch them.

Throughout the year centipedes may be in your home, so always keep it clean and dry to help prevent centipedes even wanting to get into your home. The one time of the year centipedes might be more of a challenge is during the winter, when they will be coming inside to hibernate. Fortunately they do not reproduce while hibernating, but you still could have a large number of centipedes entering your home.

Once spring comes they will go outside in order to reproduce. While outside if you do come across any centipedes don’t try to kill them they are actually more beneficial outdoors than they are indoors, and should not be bothered. The only problem that can come from centipedes being outside is that if they make a home near your house they are more likely to go inside. Avoid this from happening by keeping any leave piles, composts, wood, or any organic matter away from the house. These items are better off in your yard or garden anyways, and so are the centipedes.

centipede house centipede

This centipede has found a great spot outside, hopefully he stays out there!

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Arkansas Pest Control, Centipede, Florida Pest Control, General Information, Georgia Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Winter Pest Control Problems | 4 Comments »

Wasps: Bald Faced Hornets Life Cycle

Monday, January 25th, 2010

The life cycle of the bald faced hornet also resembles that of the yellow jacket. These two wasps have many similarities, yet they have their differences that make them the creatures they are. Unlike the yellow jackets the bald faced hornets have just one colony that they all live in. Everything happens within the nest, from taking care of the Queen, the Queen laying eggs, feeding the larvae, and protecting the hive. The bald faced hornet is not a problem during the winter. This is due to the fact that usually the Queens are the only ones to survive during the winter because they hibernate during the winter. Then comes spring and the lives of the bald faced hornet will begin again. The bald faced hornet life cycle starts in spring when they will form a colony throughout the year, and then in winter the workers, drones, and old Queens will die; leaving just the new Queens alive so they can go hibernate.

  • Queens come out of hibernation, and select a new spot to make a nest.
  • Sometimes worker bald faced hornets may have survived the winter if they found a warm place to stay, but it is very rare.
  • The Queen will lay her eggs inside the nest.
  • Once the eggs hatch the workers will take over the care of the larvae.
  • Once the larvae have grown they will become workers, and help expand the nest; and help with all of the other worker bald faced hornet duties.
  • While the queen is inside the nest she lays more eggs. When these eggs hatch they become drones which are males who are just needed to reproduce and new Queens who will be the egg carriers into the following spring.
  • Once the drones and new queens mature they will mate, shortly after the drones will die.
  • The new Queen will then start to look for a place to hibernate. She likes to find a protective place such as attics, tree trunks, hollow trees, or underground to hibernate.
  • During the fall workers begin to dwindle away and die. The Queen will also dwindle away, as the new queen will be hibernating at this time.
  • Since the nest has been abandoned at this point it will decompose and disintegrate, this also occurs due to the weather.
  • Then when spring rolls around the cycle will just repeat itself.
  • Also a new nest is always built, the bald faced hornets will never go back into an old nest, yet they might build a new one very close to the old one.
wasps bald faced hornets life cycle

Here is a bald faced hornet nest that has been destroyed, yet there are still eggs and larvae inside. The white sacs are the larvae, and the yellow sacs are the eggs.

wasps bald faced hornet life cycle

Here is a bald faced hornet hatching!

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Arkansas Pest Control, Bald Faced Hornet, Connecticut Pest Control, General Information, Georgia Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Pests | 1 Comment »

Wasps: Bald Faced Hornets Are Actually a Type of Wasp

Monday, January 25th, 2010

The bald faced hornet is actually a wasp, not a hornet. This variety of social wasp is similar to the yellow jacket. Like the yellow jacket, the bald faced hornets have a Queen whose entire purpose is to reproduce for the colony. The most obvious difference between the yellow jacket and the bald faced hornet is their coloring. The yellow jacket is bright yellow with black markings, while the bald faced hornet is black with white markings. The white markings are on the front of the head, and some at the end of the abdomen. The coloring alone makes the bald faced hornet stand out more than any other wasp. The body of the bald faced hornet is about three fourths of an inch long. Another similarity the yellow jacket and the bald faced hornet have is that they can sting a person repeatedly. Unlike most bees their stinger is smooth and will not break off, and can be used over and over again to sting people.

wasp bald faced hornet

Here is a bald faced hornet, notice the white markings on the body. There's no yellow on this type of wasp, so it confuses people.

The bald faced hornet colony is made up of the Queen, workers, drones, and new Queens. Their life cycle is also similar to the yellow jackets. Within the colony the workers protect the Queen, and work for her so she can reproduce. The workers are also in charge of foraging for food for everyone in the colony to eat. Bald faced hornets eat nectar, sap, honeydew, and over ripe fruit. Of course the worker bald faced hornet does more than watch over the Queen and find food, they are the busiest of all the bald faced hornets.

In most cases another duty that the worker usually has is stinging people, since the Queen stays safe inside the nest the workers are there to sting anyone or anything that may bother them. However, being stung by a bald faced hornet can for the most part be avoided. Bald faced hornets only sting a person when they feel threatened or their space has been invaded. The invasion of space usually occurs when a person tries to approach a bald faced hornet nest. They are very protective of their nests, and if a person comes within three feet of the nest the bald faced hornet will become defensive and start to attack. One job that a worker bald faced hornet has is to guard and protect the nest, so imagine how territorial they are. Not only that, but there can be up to 800 bald faced hornets in the nest at one time. You wouldn’t want to be the one to invade their space and upset 800 bald faced hornets.

The nest itself is made up of small pieces of wood particles that the bald faced hornets chew up; and a chemical in their saliva turns the wood into a paper like substance. The worker bald faced hornets then use the paper like material to build the nest. The nest can grow as round as a basketball while maintaining the shape of a football, it has up to four layers of combs, and one entry hole at the bottom. Often times the bald faced hornets nest are made within trees, shrubs, meadows, forest edges, and or gardens. Sometimes the nest will be made closer to people like in the sides of buildings, utility poles, under roof overhangs, under decks or porches, sheds, wall voids, and or crawlspaces. With these locations there is a higher risk of a person coming in contact with a bald faced hornet, so homeowners need to be aware of these spots as possible nest locations. Check these areas of your home; if you see any type of nest it is best to call your local pest control company out to handle the nest. Only professionals should handle the removal of the nest, it can be very risky to do yourself. No one wants to be the one to invade a bald faced hornet’s space and risk being stung multiple times.

wasp bald faced hornet

Yikes! This bald faced hornet nest was made under a roof hang right by an entry point to the house. This is extremely dangerous and should be taken care of right away by calling your local pest control company.

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Arkansas Pest Control, Bald Faced Hornet, Connecticut Pest Control, Fall Pest Control Problems, General Information, Georgia Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Pests | 2 Comments »

Pest Control Problems During the Winter

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Winter wonderlands are great places for people to enjoy the season and all of the holidays that are celebrated during the winter. Ironically people’s homes are winter wonderlands for pests. Yes, pests are a year round problem that homeowners have to deal with, but during the winter is when pest invasions are on the rise. There might not be as many pests during the winter as there are in the spring, but the risk of pests wanting to get into homes is much higher. If you already have pest control services set up make sure you have them year round and not seasonally.

pest control problems in winter

With snow and bare trees there aren't many places for pests to live outside during the winter.

The main reason pest invasions are on the rise in the winter is that pests are looking for a warm and dry place to stay. Some pests will actually hibernate within your home because of the warmth. While other pests will remain active once they’re gotten into a warm home. Having active pests inside your home during winter can be very dangerous as they can spread their diseases. Also while in your home pests can cause serious damage to wires, beams, and so forth.

The active pests that are inside a home will be looking for food, so keep all food stored properly and do not leave fruit out in fruit bowls. If pests walk on your countertops or on any food that’s left out they can transfer their bacteria etc. that they carry onto those surfaces and food. This is the most common way for people to physically suffer from pests, other than being bitten. Also pests will be leaving droppings which are contaminated with diseases and can cause harm to people. Keep an eye out for any droppings, especially in attics, basements, corners, etc. If you do find droppings call your local pest control service right away, as this is a sign of pest activity. If there are large amounts of droppings it can be hazardous to your health so do not try to remove the mess yourself, again call a professional out to your home.

During the winter it is best to maintain any preventative methods that you do throughout the year; by maintaining these methods in the winter your home will also be ready for the spring problems. The best way to think of your house, in order to protect it from pests, is that inside your home it is like spring year round. Even though pest problems are year round, spring is the highest peak of pest population indoors and outdoors. So if during the coldest time of year the home feels like spring you are sure to have some pests trying to get inside. Here are some of the most common winter pests by state:

If you do not see the state you reside in on this list please check back as more states are still being added to our database. Also the database is still adding more and more pests, so if you have a problem with a pest and don’t see it listed in the database please continue to visit www.localpestcontrolservices.com as pests are continually being added.

Picture courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Alaska Pest Control, Arizona Pest Control, Arkansas Pest Control, California Pest Control, Colorado Pest Control, Connecticut Pest Control, Delaware Pest Control, Distric of Columbia, Florida Pest Control, Georgia Pest Control, Hawaii Pest Control, Idaho Pest Control, Illinois Pest Control, Indiana Pest Control, Iowa Pest Control, Kansas Pest Control, Kentucky Pest Control, Louisiana Pest Control, Maine Pest Control, Maryland Pest Control, Massachusetts Pest Control, Michigan Pest Control, Minnesota Pest Control, Mississippi Pest Control, Missouri Pest Control, Montana Pest Control, Nebraska Pest Control, Nevada Pest Control, New Hampshire Pest Control, New Jersey Pest Control, New Mexico Pest Control, New York Pest Control, North Carolina Pest Control, North Dakota Pest Control, Ohio Pest Control, Oklahoma Pest Control, Oregon Pest Control, Pennsylvania Pest Control, Rhode Island Pest Control, Seasonal Pest Problems, South Carolina Pest Control, South Dakota Pest Control, Spring Pest Control Problems, Tennessee Pest Control, Texas Pest Control, Utah Pest Control, Vermont Pest Control, Virginia Pest Control, Washington Pest Control, West Virginia Pest Control, Winter Pest Control Problems, Wisconsin Pest Control, Wyoming Pest Control | No Comments »

Ant: Tips for Preventing Carpenter Ants

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Carpenter ants can be a huge frustration to a homeowner. It can be time consuming to try to find the main source of the carpenter ants, the colony. Also there can be multiple colonies, adding to the frustration. The best thing to do is have your local pest control service come out and examine your home. Many times if there is a colony inside there is a larger colony outside. Like many other pests problems homeowners face there are some basic prevention tips to help keep carpenter ants outside of your home. Here is a list of things homeowners can do to avoid a carpenter ant invasion.

  • Eliminate any moisture sources. Correct roof leaks, plumbing leaks, and any other moisture problems.
    • Replace any damaged wood.
  • Get rid of anything that is wood to ground contact. If necessary elevate the wood with concrete pier blocks.
  • Stack firewood away from the homes foundation and elevate it off of the ground. Always keep outside in an open area, like the backyard.
  • Trim or clip any tree branches or vegetation touching the roof or siding of the house.
  • Remove logs, stumps, and waste wood near or under your home.
  • Add a gravel or stone strip around your house.
  • Make sure all window and door frames do not contact the soil of your yard.
  • Seal or caulk any cracks in foundation, openings in foundations, entry points on the house, and around electrical and water lines / pipes.
  • Check any crawl spaces, attics, and basements to make sure they are well-ventilated, and have no moist or damp areas.
  • Clean any clogged gutters to prevent water damage.

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Carpenter Ant, Colorado Pest Control, Connecticut Pest Control, Distric of Columbia, Fall Pest Control Problems, Florida Pest Control, Georgia Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Pests, Prevention | No Comments »

Ant: Carpenter Ant Nests

Friday, December 4th, 2009

The nest of the carpenter ants can be very intricate. If you were to find one it could just look like a piece of wood has been carved out very nicely. Unfortunately, the carving is done by carpenter ants while they make their home. The cut outs are actually called galleries or tunnels. In a way the galleries almost look like a maze has been cut into the object.

ant carpenter ants

This carpenter ant nest was built in an old tree. It's hard to believe that carpenter ants made this carvings, galleries.

An important factor in the nest location for carpenter ants is moisture. Carpenter ants can make their nest in many different things that either have natural moisture to them or are near moist areas. Some of these spots are things like moist wood, firewood, near sinks or showers, under roofing, and or in wall voids. Once a location has been chosen the carpenter ants will get to work.

The nest of a carpenter ant may be found indoors or outdoors, although most often the main nest will be outdoors. Within the carpenter ant colony there will be a main nest, called the parent colony, and then there are smaller nests, called satellite colonies. A colony of carpenter ants can have up to 20 satellite colonies. The main purpose of a satellite colony is to have a place outside of the chaos within the parent colony to take care of the pupa. The workers take the pupa and transfer them from being with the Queen to a satellite colony where the workers will take care of them until they are adults. Often times the satellite colony can be found inside a home. Unlike the parent colony the satellite colony does not need as much moisture.

Many times homeowners will see carpenter ants in their home and do not know where they are coming from. This is usually because the carpenter ants are out searching for food. If the carpenter ants are inside the home they can either be passing through or coming out of their nest. The best way to determine where the carpenter ants are coming from is to find their nest. If you can not find the nest it could be outdoors, and the carpenter ants are just looking for food. If you do find the nest it is best to call your local pest control service to come remove the carpenter ants. Finding a nest can be trying. It is best to attempt to locate the nest at night when the carpenter ants are more likely to be out. Once you see them follow them, you don’t want to startle them so use a flashlight with a red film or lens on it. Carpenter ants can not see red light so they won’t see you following them. Hopefully they will be headed back to their nest and you can follow them. If they look like they are looking for food go ahead and lay some of their favorites out as a lure, then once they get their food they will head back to the nest. In the case that you do not see the carpenter ants out and about look around your home for frass, the saw dust looking stuff, as that is usually left near the nest.

ant carpenter ants

Here's an example of what frass looks like if you need to search for carpenter ants within your home.

Another option is listening for the ants. Check in any suspected areas where carpenter ants like to build their nests, and tap on the object or wall. Put your ear up to it and listen for a rustling sound, carpenter ants make this sound with their jaw and if they are disturbed, by tapping on the wall, the sound will get louder. If you locate the noise you have your nest location. At any time you find a nest call your local pest control service to come out and evaluate the colonies. The most important thing in controlling carpenter ants is that you destroy the parent colony, and not just all the satellite colonies. A professional pest control agent will be best at determining if the nest you have found is a parent or satellite nest.

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Carpenter Ant, Colorado Pest Control, Connecticut Pest Control, Distric of Columbia, Fall Pest Control Problems, Florida Pest Control, Georgia Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Nest, Pests | No Comments »

Ant: The Carpenter Ant

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Carpenter ants are one of many species of ants. Even though carpenter ants look similar to many of the other species they have their own physical characteristics that differentiate them from other ants. Also,of carpenter ants are often confused with termites. The best way to differentiate carpenter ants from another kind of ant is the carpenter ant only has one segment between it’s thorax and abdomen; also, the thorax is evenly rounded. Some carpenter ants are winged and this physical aspect confuses them with termites. The carpenter ants wings are different sizes, with the front wings being larger in size than the back wings. While the termites wings are the same size. Another physical characteristic that confuses people as to if it’s a carpenter ant or a termite is their antennae. The carpenter ant’s antennae are elbowed, where they look like they bend in the middle. The termite’s antennae are straight. These two simple physical traits of wings and antennae can confuse people, but knowing the difference will help homeowners correctly identify their pest problem.

ant carpenter ants

Carpenter ants have distinctive physical traits like the antennae being elbowed, and only one segment between the thorax and the abdomen. Both of these traits are visible in this picture.

The black- to red-toned carpenter ant is a hard worker, depending on it’s role within the colony that is. Ranging from three eights of an inch to a half of an inch, and sometimes larger, the carpenter ant does a lot with it’s little body. Whether the ant is a worker, a swarmer, a Queen, or a male, their size is contributed to their title. There are two varieties of workers, the larger worker is called a major and the smaller worker is called a minor. A swarmer is a winged reproductive carpenter ant. Queens are all usually about the same size, and there may be more than one Queen per colony. Males are used just for reproducing.

ant carpenter ants

These carpenter ants are swarmers. All swarmers have wings.

While males are used mainly for reproducing, Queens do just the same. Queens stay in the colony and lay eggs. In the late summer the eggs the Queen lays are males and more Queens, these eggs will hatch in early spring. Then these carpenter ants will reproduce once they are adults. Other eggs that the Queen lays throughout the year are females that become worker ants. The eggs take about three weeks to hatch into larvae. Once they are larvae they take about another three weeks to develop into pupa. From the pupa stage to adult it will be about another three weeks. The timing of all these stages may vary depending on the climate the carpenter ants are in at the time. During the carpenter ants development once it becomes a pupa worker ants come and take all the pupa to a satellite colony where the workers will take care of them. With Queens having so many babies the colony grows and grows over time. With in two to four years there can be hundreds of workers within a colony, and just a few years more there can be thousands of workers within a colony.

A kind of ironic fact abut carpenter ants is that they don’t eat wood. This is ironic because the colony that carpenter ants build is most often in some form of wood. They like to live in moist wood, rotting trees, tree stumps, logs, firewood, near tubs, near sinks, near showers, near dishwashers, under roofing, in attic beams, hallow spaces like doors, curtain rods, wall voids, and foam insulation. With a favorite living space being wood and the fact that carpenter ants make tunnels or galleries within the wood to form their colonies many people assume they eat wood.

ant carpenter ants

Here is a small nest found outside a house. The nest is in the wood of the patio.

Another common thing that confuses people as to if they have ants or termites in their house is that they both live in wood, and eat it. While the carpenter ant may live within wood and obviously has to destroy the wood to make its home it does not actually eat the wood, but many people think carpenter ants do eat the wood like termites do. Piles of what looks like sawdust, called frass, are left near the colony. Carpenter ants move it away from the colony once they have built their home so that people can’t find their nest right away. This confuses people even more because they assume the wood has been eaten by the carpenter ants and do not know where the piles of frass have come from.

Since the carpenter ants do not eat wood they find many other sources of food to eat. Carpenter ants go out to look for food usually around sunset and may stay out scavenging until midnight. Carpenter ants will even go as far as 100 yards away from their colony in order to find food. Proteins and sugars like meat, tuna in water, syrup, honeydew, honey, sugar, jelly, and other sweets are all favorites of the carpenter ants to eat. People can often find carpenter ants in their homes looking for food. This confuses people and makes them think they have an ant problem, when really there are just a few ants inside looking for food. Although there may be an infestation of carpenter ants the best thing to do to determine if there is a problem or not is to find the colony.

ant carpenter ants

Here are two carpenter ants feeding on a grape.

Pictures courtesy of www.creativecommons.org

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, Carpenter Ant, Colorado Pest Control, Connecticut Pest Control, Distric of Columbia, Fall Pest Control Problems, Florida Pest Control, General Information, Georgia Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests | 5 Comments »

Yellow Jacket: First Aid For a Yellow Jacket Sting

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Like bee stings, the yellow jacket is the most harmful to a person if they are allergic to the yellow jacket’s venom. Overall the first aid for a bee sting or a yellow jacket sting is very similar. If you see a yellow jacket near you and fear being stung do not try to swat at it nor get up right away to take cover. Any kind of fast unexpected movement could actually make the yellow jacket sting you. The best things to do are slowly put your hands over your face and wait or get up slowly and go indoors or somewhere secure. Of course not being stung is the best scenario anyone could ask for, but there is a chance it could happen. The one differentiating factor of bees and yellow jackets is actually the most terrifying thing about their stings. Yellow jackets can sting a person over and over again because their stinger has no barbs, and they travel in groups. So there is a high risk of being stung, and then possibly getting stung multiple times. If you are unable to protect yourself and get stung there are a few basic steps to follow to help with the pain.

  • Venom will be released into the sting while it happens. If allergic there may be a strong reaction.
  • Reaction will appear within 20 minutes to two hours.
  • No matter if you’re allergic or not the sting will be painful and will swell up and turn red.
  • Allergic symptoms that one would experience are a rash, difficulty breathing, difficulties swallowing, cough, tightness of chest, and or slurred speech.
  • If any of these symptoms become present it is best to go to a doctor immediately.
  • If you are stung and are not allergic or symptoms have not become apparent, apply a poultice made up of some form of meat tenderizer to the wound to help with the inflammation.
  • Take an antihistamine to reduce the reaction from the sting.
  • If these steps do not help go to a doctor as soon as you can to help aid the sting.

Posted in Alabama Pest Control, California Pest Control, Colorado Pest Control, Connecticut Pest Control, Delaware Pest Control, Fall Pest Control Problems, First Aid, Florida Pest Control, Georgia Pest Control, Information, how-to, and things about pests, Pests, Yellow Jackets | 1 Comment »

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