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Creature Feature
Voles belong to a group of rodents containing many species collectively referred to as meadow voles. Although they look like mice, voles are generally stouter with shorter ears and tail. They behave differently from mice as well and usually stay outside of structures. Voles live underground in shallow burrow systems and are poor climbers.
Voles feed on plant roots and stems and tend to damage turf and ornamental or garden plants. They are prolific breeders and their populations can peak about every four to five years. This is when most of their damage occurs around structures. Their burrow openings are connected by well-traveled runways, which also ruin the appearance of lawns.
The house mouse probably originated around northern India and stowed away in grain supplies as people migrated around the world. It is now a worldwide pest and, in most cities, it is the top rodent pest. In addition to being transported to new areas as stowaways, house mice are able to enter smaller structural openings than rats and require very little living space. They also require less water than rats because, if necessary, they are able to meet their body’s moisture requirement by producing metabolic water from food. Once indoors and a food resource is established, they can breed throughout the year.
House mice contaminate our food and environments with their saliva, urine and feces. They may spread food-borne illnesses by leaving pathogens on food, preparation surfaces or utensils. Allergic reactions, including asthma attacks, can occur from repeated exposure to mouse urinary proteins. House mice are the primary carriers of a virus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis
Odorous house ants (OHAs) belong to a subfamily of ants that use strong odors from anal glands as a chemical defense—there is no stinger. The odor isn’t unique to them, but comes in handy when identifying them against similar-looking pest ants. Although historically described as “rotten coconut”, pest management professionals (PMPs) didn’t always agree about what the odor smelled liked. A study in 2015 clarified the source of the odor as an organic compound also associated with blue cheese and rotten coconut. Penicillium molds that turn coconuts rotten are also used to make blue cheese, so PMPs that smell either are both correct.
Bed bugs belong to a family of insects that are primarily human, bat and bird parasites. It is believed that the first bed bugs parasitized bats in ancient Mediterranean caves and began parasitizing humans as they inhabited caves along with bats. As cities were established and commerce between them followed, bed bug infestations became more permanent and spread to other areas. Now, the bed bug (often called the common bed bug) has a worldwide distribution and is the dominant bed bug in temperate climates.
Bed begs do not live on their host like lice and adult fleas. They are nest parasites that live near their host, avoiding light and spending the majority of their lifetime hiding in protected areas. For human hosts, this translates into mostly sleeping or resting areas. As infestations grow, bed bugs are found in less predictable locations, such as closets, hallways, bathrooms and kitchens. The tendency to aggregate also decreases as access to food decreases. At any given
There are several species of yellowjackets across North America. Most have a distinctive pattern on their abdomen that tells them apart from the others. While most yellowjackets are yellow and black, some are white and black. Yellowjackets belong to a subfamily that contains Vespula and Dolichovespula species. Vespula species tend to nest in the ground or in above-ground voids and Dolichovespula species tend to build aerial nests. Although the baldfaced hornet was given the name “hornet” because of its large size, it is a Dolichovespula species of yellowjacket.
Yellowjacket nests contain multiple comb layers enclosed by a paper envelope with one entry and exit hole. Colonies are usually annual and die in the fall, with only newly mated queens overwintering in sheltered locations. Large perennial nests may occur where winters are mild. Yellowjackets become dangerous pests when they nest in, on or near man-made structures because they become aggressively defensive
The yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) originated in Africa, where it evolved from an ancestor that still exists there today. Its ancestor prefers to lay eggs in natural tree holes and to feed on non-human animals. At some point, the yellow fever mosquito became domesticated, breeding in artificial containers close to humans and preferring human hosts. This domestication allowed their introduction into the New World via European ships leaving West Africa with slaves and containers of drinking water also holding immature yellow fever mosquitoes.
Yellow fever existed in Africa before the Europeans arrived and followed them into the New World in the 1600s. Epidemics killed thousands of people through the early 1900s until it was discovered that the yellow fever mosquito was the disease vector. Afterwards, mosquito eradication campaigns and a vaccine developed in the 1930s virtually eliminated yellow fever from the United States. However, this mosquito is also the most efficient
House flies are the most common flies associated with humans and their animals. Originally from central Asia, they now occur in inhabited areas worldwide. Since house flies breed in feces and garbage, they can transmit diseases from these mediums onto food and food preparation surfaces. Studies have shown that community-wide fly management reduces cases of infectious diarrhea, which can be caused by various pathogens. House flies may carry these pathogens on their bodies or in their bodies and deposit them in their feces or regurgitated gut contents.
House flies rarely breed inside buildings unless garbage dumpsters or compactors are housed indoors or extremely unsanitary conditions are present elsewhere. House flies are an increased problem in animal farming areas due to large amounts of manure. In more urban areas, house flies are attracted to odors from outdoor garbage dumpsters. To reduce attraction to buildings, dumpster lids should stay tightly closed and dumpsters should
Subterranean termites form colonies and forage for wood in soil, which provides moisture and protection from extreme temperatures. As a result, subterranean termites are more widespread than drywood termites, which are more vulnerable to extreme cold. Also unlike drywood termites, subterranean termites don’t live in the wood they’re eating. Since their colony size is not limited by wood, one subterranean termite colony can cause more structural damage than one drywood termite colony. Although subterranean termites occur in every state except Alaska, structural infestations are more common in warmer climates. Subterranean termites are limited by frozen topsoil in areas where winters are extremely cold, reducing the overall number of structural infestations in these areas.
Twenty-four species of carpenter ants are structural or nuisance pests in North America, although each species may be found in different regions. All carpenter ants can be recognized by the evenly rounded thorax when viewed from the side. Color is variable amongst the species, from black, red and black, to even yellowish-brown. The black carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) is the most common species in the East; the western black carpenter ant (Camponotus modoc) is most common species in the West.
Carpenter ants are the largest pest ants that will be found infesting structures. Workers may measure up to one half an inch and queens
Although named the German cockroach, the most widespread cockroach pest in the world probably originated in Southeast Asia and expanded to urban areas through human travel and commerce. The first specimens to be identified may have been from Germany and assumed to be German. However, the fact that cold is a major limiting factor to their survival points to their not being native to Europe.
German cockroaches are domestic pests that rely on humans for food, harborage and transportation. They are rarely found outdoors and not in wild populations away from structures. Although they have fully developed wings, they do not fly since they are specialized for living with and being transported by humans. They also have certain reproductive traits that allow infestations to grow rapidly. While most cockroach species drop their egg capsules, German cockroach females carry theirs until the eggs are ready to hatch, which helps prevent dehydration and parasitism. Each German cockroach