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Creature Feature
The house sparrow is the most common wild bird in the world. Originally from the Middle East, it spread to Asia, Europe, and North Africa following agriculture and was deliberately introduced to other places in the world. In North America, eight pairs were released in Brooklyn, NY in 1851. By 1910, house sparrows were established in California.
House sparrows are very successful because they like to live close to people, whether in cities or in agriculture. They nest in cavities and take advantage of structural holes, overhangs, and signs. Seeds are the majority of their diet along with some insects. Breeding males have a black beak, throat, and chest while females and juveniles are more camouflaged. Although house sparrows are social with each other, they are aggressive towards other bird species and will displace them from nesting holes and food sources.
Like the Norway rat, the roof rat is an Old World rat native to Asia, specifically the forests of Southeast Asia. It also spread west through human migration, but it arrived in Europe and North America earlier than the Norway rat. Once the more aggressive Norway rat reached the United States, roof rats began to decline. Whereas Norway rats are found in every state, roof rats tend to dominate in coastal cities or along waterways in warmer climates. Although they generally don’t occur more than 100 miles inland, they may be transported inland and establish local infestations.
As their name implies, roof rats are arboreal and are more likely to infest higher structural areas, such as attics, soffits, drop ceilings and upper wall voids. They do very well in neighborhoods with mature landscaping - especially if it includes fruit and nut trees - and easily travel along fences, through trees, on utility lines and rooftops. Roof rats are able to rely on natural food sources
Raccoons in general are New World animals. Of the three raccoon species that exist, the common raccoon is the largest and most widely distributed. It is native to North and Central America from southern Canada down to Panama. Originally from the tropics, the common raccoon is one of a few larger animals whose range increased along with human settlement. They have been introduced outside of their native range into Europe and Japan where they have become invasive.
Raccoons are omnivorous and highly adaptable to different environments. They are intelligent animals that are able to creatively solve problems and have dexterous hands that can open and manipulate objects. They can be persistent and destructive when trying to gain access to food or structures. Raccoons also vector rabies, mainly along the East Coast and up into Ontario, and host raccoon roundworm. Roundworm eggs excreted in raccoon feces contaminate underlying surfaces and are usually ingested by young children. The
The brown dog tick is unique in that it can complete its entire life cycle indoors. As a result, it is more of a domestic pest (occurring in and around structures) than other tick species. Other ticks can be brought indoors, but they are not able to build populations and infest structures like the brown dog tick. Because it is primarily an indoor parasite of the ever-present domestic dog, it is the most widespread tick in the world. It is usually introduced into a structure on an untreated dog that originated from or visited an infested location.
All life stages of the brown dog tick prefer to feed on dogs. Each stage drops off the host after feeding to molt into the next stage or to lay eggs. Because of this behavior, most of a brown dog tick’s life is spent in the environment, not on a dog. Engorged larvae, nymphs and adult females drop and search for protected cracks and crevices in which to molt or lay eggs. Where dogs stay during the night is the area most likely
By far, cat fleas cause the majority of structural infestations. They are the most common fleas on domestic cats and dogs and can infest nuisance wildlife, such as opossums and raccoons. Homes without pets can develop cat flea infestations if feral or wild animals are allowed onto to the property.
Cat fleas are host fleas. Unlike nest fleas, the adult stage remains on the host, which provides both food and shelter. Adult cat fleas will only abandon a dying or dead animal. Animals usually become infested when adult fleas are stimulated to emerge from their cocoons by host movement and exhaled carbon dioxide. Pre-emerged adults are concentrated in host resting areas because flea eggs fall off the host’s body and accumulate where it spends most of its time. Wormlike larvae hatch from eggs and move down into ground litter or carpet fibers to avoid light and desiccation. They primarily feed on adult flea feces, or “flea dirt”, which contains mostly undigested
Today, rock pigeons are common in cities around the world. Originally, they were cliff-dwelling birds with a natural range from western and southern Europe through northern Africa to southwestern Asia. The earliest record of their domestication dates back to at least 5,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean, making rock pigeons the world's oldest domesticated bird. They were the main bird eaten in Europe and the Middle East for many years. Due to their good homing ability, they were also used to sending messages over long distances. European settlers first brought domesticated rock pigeons to North America in the early 1600s. All feral rock pigeons in North America are the result of escaped domestic birds.