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Common Pests in North-East America

The Black Legged Tick or deer tick is approximately 1/16- to 1/8inch long and orange to reddish brown in color. There bodies are flattened and shaped like a tear drop. Each female can lay approximately 3,000 eggs that hatch in 48 to 135 days. The complete life cycle from egg to egg is normally two years.

The deer tick is most widely recognized as being a vector for Lyme disease. It is the nymphal stage that is responsible for the transmission of the disease, the most significant tick-borne disease in the United States. Annually, more than 10,000 people are affected with this disease, mostly in the Northeast. They are concentrated in transition areas between fields and grass areas, and denser vegetation.

Control involves elimination of potential tick harborage including debris and ground cover. Also control of rodents will aid in the control program. A professional assessment and chemical treatment program by a licensed, qualified and experienced Pest Management Professional rounds out the steps in this process.

Social Wasp - Yellow Jacket

The Yellow Jacket is a social wasp in the Hymenoptera order. This order includes Yellow Jackets, Baldfaced Hornets, and Paper Wasps. The Yellow Jacket has a bright yellow and black pattern and are about 3/8 to 5/8-inch long. They have large nests that can contain as many as 30,000 individuals. The nests they build are flat paper nests in stacks surrounded by a paper envelope. The nests are only used for one season.

Unlike bees, Yellow Jackets and Social wasps aggressively defend their nests and can inflict multiple stings. They can be beneficial because they feed on a wide variety of insects. They become a danger when they build nests within the wall voids of a house or in a void space under ground; scavenge for food in recreational areas and in other places frequented by humans; and seek overwintering sites in structures.

The potential danger of these insects is extremely high due to their ferociousness. Protective measures must be taken. Simply removing the nest will not resolve the problem as the surviving wasps will construct a new one. Treatments using dusts, aerosols, liquids or a combination is necessary to eliminate them. Knowledge of biology and habits of the pest are helpful in locating the proper area to make the application and which material to use.

Subterranean Termite

Termites are social insects which live in large colonies. They have three castes: workers, soldiers, and reproductives. Winged reproductives or swarmers have two pairs of translucent wings which break off after swarming. The insects are black and about 3/8-inch long. The workers are white, grublike looking insects that shun light and air. It is they who are responsible the damage that is caused. They are both straight bodied and this is one of the main differences to distinguish them from ants. Termites live in the soil and travel within mud tubes to reach structural wood where they then feed. They are always connected to the soil and/or close to a moisture source. A mature queen produces 5,000 to 10,000 eggs per year. An average colony consists of 60,000 to 250,000 individuals but colonies numbering in the millions are possible. A queen may live up to 30 years and workers as long as five years.

Nationally, termites cause over $2 billion in treatment and repair costs each year. It is estimated that more than 2 million dwellings are damaged by termite infestations each year. Most insurance policies don't cover the damage and destruction caused by them. Termites eat the soft layers of the wood leaving paper thin walls between the galleries. They can eat several feet of wood per year depending on the size of the colony and cause significant damage to the structural integrity of the dwelling if not detected.

A thorough inspection and assessment of the dwelling is imperative for elimination of the infestation. Treatment options include "traditional" chemical applications and the newest technology-baiting systems such as The Sentricon Termite Elimination System. Regardless of which application you prefer, addressing the situation quickly with the help of a Pest Management Professional will assure that your problem is eliminated and further damage to the structure prevented.

The German Cockroach is approximately 1/2 to 5/8-inches long when mature, light brown to tan in color and have fully developed wings. The immature nymphs when born are approximately 1/8-inch long when they emerge from the egg capsule and almost uniformly dark. The purse shaped egg capsule is light brown in color, 1/4 to 3/8-inch long and contains 30 to 40 eggs. The nymphs molt 6 to 7 times before becoming adults. This requires about 100 days; thus allowing three to four generations per year.

German Cockroaches are the most common household insect in the United States. They typically infest kitchens and bathrooms. They can feed on all types of human food and may even live in the food boxes. Because they like heat they can be found around electrical devices and outlets sometimes causing short circuiting and fires. Their exoskeleton and the shed molt skins from the nymphs are known to be causes of asthmatic reactions in those people so prone. They can also transmit diseases including food poisoning, dysentery, and diarrhea, and they carry various bacteria on their bodies.

German cockroaches typically are brought into structures. Close inspection is required of potentially infested materials. Sticky traps can help to pinpoint locations of infestations but are not intended for control. An effective management program depends on good sanitation to eliminate food, water, and shelter they need for survival. A combination of baits, dusts, and insecticides should be used to achieve control. Precise and correct application of these products is crucial for elimination of the infestation. The knowledge of a pest management professional is critical since the sites can be numerous and difficult to locate.

The Black carpenter ant is among the most thoroughly studied species in the United States. They are also among the largest ants found in the US, ranging from 1/8 to 1/2 inch long. The workers vary in size. They are commonly black; however, some species are red and black in color. They have one node between the thorax and the abdomen with a small circle of tiny hairs around the abdomen. Mature colonies range in size from several thousand workers to 10-15,000 including satellite nests. Swarming queen ants appear after a colony is approximately three to four years old. Swarming can occur May through August.

Carpenter ants are social insects that usually nest in wood. They commonly excavate galleries or tunnels in both rotting and sound trees and, in structures readily infest wood, foam insulation and cavities. They prefer to excavate wood damaged by fungus and are often found in conjunction with moisture problems. They do not eat the wood for food as a termite does, they only chew through it to make a nesting sight. The workers push wood shavings and debris out of the nest keeping the galleries clean. This material, which may contain fragments of other insects, and structural moisture problems are things to look for when trying to locate a colony in an infested structure. Rustling sounds in wall voids are another indication that there is a colony in the area.

Carpenter ant control can be very difficult and thus, requires and integrated approach which involves moisture elimination, removing overhanging tree limbs, stumps, and firewood, and mechanical alterations to the structure. These items are best identified by a trained Pest Management Professional who is qualified to evaluate the situation. Areas where water leaks occur, particularly the roof, soffits, bathrooms and kitchen should be inspected. The most complete control is accomplished when the nest and perimeters are treated with a residual spray or dust. This may involve drilling holes in walls, ceiling voids, soffits, etc., which these ants utilize for nesting sites. This as well as other options available, should be discussed with your certified technician.

The common rat here in the Northeast is the Norway rat. While rats can be referred to by many different names such as sewer rat or water rat, the species is still the Norway rat. The head and body are seven to ten inches long and the tail is an additional six to eight inches. It is stocky and weighs between seven and eighteen ounces. Adults are sexually mature in two to five months. Females produce three to six litters per year each averaging seven to eight young. They have poor sight but keen senses of smell, taste, hearing and touch. The snout is blunt, the eyes and ears are small, and the tail is shorter than the head and body combined. Droppings are up to 3/4 inch long with blunt ends. These differences allow for distinction between a young rat and a mature mouse. Please see mouse description below.

Rats are nocturnal creatures that can enter structures and cause damage to food products as well as other items within the dwelling. They can capitalize on openings as small as 1/2 inch. Rats are associated with various diseases and occasionally bite. Leptospirosis is a disease vectored by rats, and, thus, is a disease of great concern. This disease is acquired by eating food and drinking water which are contaminated with infected rat urine. Rats also cause significant structural damage and product destruction. Rats can also gnaw on electrical wires which has been proven to be the source of some fires.

The keys to a successful rodent control program are identification, sanitation, elimination of harborage, and rodent proofing. The initial evaluation performed by a trained Pest Management Professional should identify signs of infestation such as gnaw marks, droppings, runways, and damaged goods. Removing food, water and materials which provide harborage. Devices used can include baits, snap traps, and glueboards. Rodent proofing is the final step to prevent other rodents from entering the structure. All holes and access points to the exterior must be sealed. Exclusion is a critical aspect of rodent control.

The house mouse is the most common and economically important commensal (i.e., living in close association with humans) rodent. It is grey and weighs one half to one ounce. The body is three to four inches long and the tail three to four inches long. The snout is pointed, the ears are large, the eyes and body are small. Typically, the house mouse is slightly smaller than the deer mouse which also differs in color (brown with white feet). The deer mouse is also very common in our area. The female house mouse reaches sexual maturity in 35 days and averages eight litters per year, each of which averages six young. Thus, with 30-35 weaned mice per year, populations build rapidly. They begin to breed at five to six weeks of age. The life span is approximately one year.

House mice are curious creatures with very social behavior. They are very inquisitive about new things in there environment and readily explore them. They can damage a large amount of food product and items utilized for nesting material such as paper, cloth, cardboard and insulation. The major health risks associated with house are salmonella contamination and leptospirosis. Deer mice also damage furnishings and stored materials. They gained national notoriety when it was determined that deer mice are the principle rodent species associated with hantavirus. They also play a role in carrying deer ticks which can transmit Lymes disease.

A program of baiting, trapping, and exclusion is necessary to eliminate mice. Entry holes should be sealed with 1/4 inch hardware cloth, sheet metal, or steel wool. This includes all openings greater than 1/4 inch. Since the foraging territory for mice is usually no more that 20 feet, it is important to make sure that bait placements are properly made. Utilizing the services of a Pest Management Professional is trained in these situations is invaluable. Because mice are nibblers, many placements are necessary to achieve control of the infestation.