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Viewing TIP 1: (Close each Bug
list before Viewing another) Viewing TIP
2: (Hover over
the images for a closer look)
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Common Outdoor Invaders |
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Earwig |
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(Length: 3/4" to 1 1/2")
Earwigs were named by a superstition that the
insect would crawl purposely into the ears of
sleeping people. More easily recognized by its
forceps-like tail appendage, the earwig is a
major garden pest, as well as an annoying
household pest. It is one of the few insects
that take care of its young. Earwigs feed on
green plants, and other vegetation, and do
little damage indoors. The pinch of their
forceps is neither painful nor poisonous, but
does an effective "scare" job. |
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House Cricket |
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(Length: 3/4")
The tan house cricket is found in warm, damp,
dark places such as shrubs, grass, basements or
crawl spaces. Active mostly at night, they will
eat almost anything they can chew from rugs to
drapes, and they usually enter a building from
harborage right outside. |
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Millipede |
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(Length: 1" 1 1/2")
Brownish and worm-like in appearance with many
body segments, millipedes have two pairs of legs
on each segment. They typically live outside in
moist vegetation, leaf litter and mulch and feed
upon decaying organic wood and plant matter.
When conditions are right, migrations can occur
and large numbers will find there way inside
homes trough cracks and crevices. When
disturbed, they curl up like a watch spring. |
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Centipede |
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(Length: 1" 2")
The color of the centipede varies depending on
the species, but most are brown to orange brown
with many body segments. Unlike millipedes,
centipedes only have one pair of legs per
segment. They usually live outdoors in dark,
moist areas and are seldom seen inside homes,
except for the house centipede which is
recognized by its extremely long legs. The house
centipede is usually found where dampness
occurs. They are nocturnal and when disturbed
move swiftly towards darkened hiding places. |
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Clover Mite |
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(Length: 1/30)
A tiny reddish brown mite with very long front
legs, it feeds on grasses and weeds. Migration
into homes is common in the early Spring and
late Winter. Large numbers can be very annoying
and, when crushed, leave red stains. Heavily
fertilized lawns provide succulent growth for
clover mites and support high populations. |
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Pill Bug |
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(Length: 1/4 3/8)
These crustaceans are found in lawn turf, under
leaves, or other moist areas of decaying
vegetable matter. Extremes of wet, dry, or hot
weather drive them inside, where they do no
damage but are an annoyance. Pill bugs roll into
a ball or pill when they are disturbed. The
sow bug is unable to roll into a ball. |
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Sow Bug |
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(Length: 1/4 3/8)
These crustaceans are found in lawn turf, under
leaves, or other moist areas of decaying
vegetable matter. Extremes of wet, dry, or hot
weather drive them inside, where they do no
damage but are an annoyance. Pill bugs roll into
a ball or pill when they are disturbed. The
sow bug is unable to roll into a ball. |
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Asian Ladybug |
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(Length: 3/8)
This beetle is a beneficial insect due to its
predatory control of aphids, scale insects and
other shrubbery pests. However, they make a
nuisance of themselves by invading homes in
large numbers to over-winter. They normally
enter on the southern or western exposure of
your home and spend the winter in attics, wall
voids and under siding. On warm sunny days, they
come out of these hiding places and gather
around windows. |
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Boxelder Bug |
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(Length: 1/2)
The boxelder bug is black with 3 longitudinal
red lines on its back. It feeds on boxelder,
maple and some fruit trees. In buildings, it is
an over-wintering insect and may be found in
large numbers. |
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[Close Outdoor Invaders] |
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Wood
Destroyers |
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Carpenter Bee |
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(Length: 3/4" 1")
These large dark bees that resemble bumble bees
are often seen hovering around the eaves of a
house, wooden fences or the underside of deck in
the late spring. They bore round holes into wood
to nest. They will nest in a wide range of
woods, but prefer weathered and unpainted wood.
Typically they do not cause serious structural
damage unless a large number of bees are
involved over a long period of time. Male
carpenter bees tend to be territorial and can
become aggressive towards humans by hovering
close by. But this is merely a show as they have
no stinger. |
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Drywood Swarmer |
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(Length: about 3/16")
These brown flying insects, identified by 3
darker veins on the front edge of their wings,
swarm in late Spring and early Summer. Presence
of straight antennae and only two distinct body
segments differentiate them from flying ants. |
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Drywood Termite |
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(Length: Up to 1/2")
This termite species does not live in the
ground, but lives inside wood. They are most
likely to be found in humid, coastal areas.
Their colonies are much smaller than
subterranean termites, and infestations found in
wood are usually confined to a small area. One
sign of a drywood colony is the presence of
fecal pellets, often found in piles like tiny
stones. Drywood termites push out these pellets
through small "kick-out" holes they make. The
holes are later resealed. |
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Formosan Subterranean Termite |
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(Length: About 1/2")
Like subterranean termites, Formosan termites
feed on cellulose material (i.e. wood), but they
are more aggressive and attack wood at a much
faster rate. They nest in the ground but can
also live in aerial "carton" nests they make
from chewed wood, soil, saliva and fecal matter.
A Formosan termite colony is significantly
larger than that of the subterranean termite,
and can cause significantly more damage in a
shorter period of time. |
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Subterranean Termite Swarmer |
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(Length: 1/2")
These dark brown to black winged insects are the
male and female reproductives. They emerge from
the colony in a dark cloud at least once per
year. Their short flight drops them to the
ground where they then seek the proper
conditions for the king and queen to start a
small brood chamber in the soil. The swarmers
are often confused with winged ants. The major
visible differences are the waist (pinched in
the ant, broad in the termite), the antenna
(elbowed in the ant, straight in the termite)
and the wings (two different sizes in the ant,
all the same size in the termite). |
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Subterranean Termite |
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(Length: 1/8" 3/8")
These are social insects living in colonies in
the soil. The colony is made up of workers,
soldiers and reproductives. Subterranean Termite
colonies feed on wood or other cellulose
material such as paper, cardboard and
fiberboard. They do excessive damage in the U.S.
every year. Workers are blind and cream colored,
entering homes while foraging for food, through
cracks as small as 1/64". The workers return to
feed the other members of the colony on a
regular basis. Winged reproductives (swarmers)
are dark, and many lose their wings shortly
after their swarming flight. |
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Old House Borer |
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(Length: 1/2"
3/4")
This is a member of the group known as
"long-horned beetles". Eggs are laid in crevices
of the bark of cut logs. The whitish larva live
3-5 years or more, eating through the wood.
During quiet times, their feeding may be heard
as clicking and rasping sounds. Adults leave
infested wood through oval holes about 1/4" in
diameter. |
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Powder Post Beetle |
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(Length: 1/8" 1/4")
Adults are reddish brown to black and very
slender. The Powder Post Beetle damages seasoned
hardwoods such as flooring, furniture and
structural woods. The larva, living in and
eating the wood, can take up to four years to
develop. Their presence is often indicated by
piles of fine dust and by small exit holes in
the wood. Control requires treatment by
fumigation or replacement of the infested wood. |
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[Close Wood Destroyers] |
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Rodents |
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House Mouse |
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(Length: 2" 4" head to tail)
Light brown or light grey in color, the house
mouse is small and slender with large ears and
small eyes. They have a keen sense of hearing,
taste, smell and touch. While they are mostly
active at night they can be seen during the day
searching for food. Although they usually feed
on cereal grains, they will eat almost anything.
They nest within structures or burrows and
establish a "territory" near food sources,
generally 10 to 30 feet from their nest. The
house mouse is a prolific breeder. |
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Roof Rat |
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(Length: 7" 8" head to tail)
Black or brown in color, the roof rat is slender
with a tail that is usually longer than the
combined length of its head and body. They are
nocturnal and prefer to forage for food above
ground in elevated areas indoors and outdoors.
They are excellent climbers and often use trees
and utility lines to reach food and enter
buildings. They are a plant and animal eater,
but are very fond of fruit, especially oranges.
They nest inside and under buildings, or in
piles of rubbish or wood. These rats are more
often found along the coast. |
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Norway Rat |
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(Length
16 head to tail)
Also called the Wharf Rat, this rat is the
largest of the urban rat species. It can be
distinguished from the roof rat by its grayer
coloration and a tail that is shorter than its
body. It commonly nests in the soil, creating a
system of burrows. |
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[Close Rodents] |
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Common Household Pests |
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Bed Bug |
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(Length: 1/8" -3/16")
In reading about bed
bugs, you'll find that can be difficult to
exterminate. Getting rid of bed bugs requires
persistence. They can fit into extremely small
cracks and are therefore near impossible to locate. The fact
that they rarely come out in the daytime adds to
the difficulty. If you suspect you have bed
bugs, your best bet is to contact a professional
and let them do their job. Exterminating bed
bugs yourself can be extremely frustrating, and
more often than not, unsuccessful. The fact is,
bed bugs can cause health risks in sensitive
people. Don't mess around, get rid of your bed
bugs as soon as possible. |
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Argentine Ants |
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(Length: 1/11" -1/10")
These medium size ants are uniformly brown and
trail in large numbers. They compete
aggressively with other ant species for food and
nesting sites and can drive most other ant
species out of their territory. Their nests have
large numbers of individuals and a high
percentage of queens. Because of their
aggressive nature, these ants will develop into
super-colonies in many urban situations with the
colony spread across large areas. It is not
uncommon to find Argentine ants spread across
entire neighborhoods. Their nests are often
under heavy leaf litter, under wood on the
ground, at the base of trees and in planters and
mulch. They prefer the outdoors, but will enter
houses looking for food, water and warmth. They
particularly like sweet foods. |
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Red Imported Fire Ant |
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(Length: 1/8" 1/4")
Usually a reddish brown color, fire ants live in
colonies of up to 200,000 individuals. Their
mounds can be two feet high and three feet
across with as many as 50 colonies per acre. The
Red Imported Fire Ant causes damage difficult to
measure in dollars. Its painful, burning sting
results in pustules that take up to 10 days to
heal. Some people are extremely allergic to the
sting, needing fast medical attention to deal
with the toxin. |
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Pharaoh Ant |
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(Length: 1/12" 1/16")
These small red to yellowish ants can be found
trailing anywhere within a structure. They can
nest in wall voids, cabinets, boxes of food and
any other accessible crevices and spaces. They
are known to invade sick rooms and feed on blood
plasma and wound dressings. Their colonies have
multiple queens and can split into small groups,
spreading very rapidly. In sub-tropical areas
pharaoh ants readily nest outside in leaf debris
found on or near structures. Re-invasion of the
structure can occur throughout warm parts of the
year. |
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Crazy Ant |
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(Length: 1/12" - 1/8")
Ranging from red-brown to grayish to black, this
small ant gets it name from its characteristic
erratic and rapid movement in their search for
food. They will feed on any household foods. The
crazy ant is highly adaptable and can live in
both very dry and moist habitats. They typically
nest outdoors in the soil and in the cavities of
trees and shrubs, but frequently enter homes in
the fall or after a rain where they will nest in
wall and floor voids especially near hot water
pipes and heaters. |
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Florida Carpenter Ant |
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(Length: 1/4"- 1/2")
These large ants usually nest outdoors in stumps
and logs in contact with the soil and in dead
tree limbs and cavities. The Florida Carpenter
Ant has a black abdomen and red head and thorax.
They also can nest in homes in wood damaged by
termites, fungi and moisture. They forage widely
for food crumbs and insects as well as honeydew
produced by sap-sucking insects which attack
landscape plants. Although they dont eat wood,
the galleries they excavate can be quite
extensive. |
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Black Carpenter Ant |
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(Length: 1/4" 1/2")
Although the same size as Florida carpenter
ants, these ants are completely black instead of
two-toned. Unlike the Florida species, the black
carpenter ant does more damage to sound,
undamaged wood. They dont eat wood, but they
hollow out "galleries" in wood for nesting that
are so smooth they appear to be finished by
sandpaper. They normally nest in dead portions
of trees, stumps or logs and invade homes in
search of food. They feed on living or dead
insects and nearly all sweets, or meats inside. |
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Odorous House Ant |
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(Length: 1/8)
This brownish-black ant is the most common
nemesis of the homeowner in the Carolinas. Nests
are usually located in a great variety of
places, both indoors and outdoors. Multiple nest
sites are not uncommon and colony sizes are
large. It derives its name from the fact that a
rotten, coconut-like odor is produced when it is
crushed. |
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Silverfish |
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(Length: 1/3" 1/2")
These slender, wingless insects are common in
homes. The are shiny and silver or pearl-gray in
color with three long tail-like appendages and
two long antennae. They may cause damage by
eating foods, cloth or other items high in
protein, sugar or starch. They eat cereals,
moist wheat flour, paper on which there is glue
or paste, book bindings, wallpaper, starch in
clothes and linens. They will breed in
bookcases, storage boxes and linen closets. They
thrive in moist hot areas from the attic to the
crawl space. |
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Smokybrown Cockroach |
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(Length: 1" 1 1/4")
The Smokybrown Cockroach is uniform in color,
typically brownish black and very shiny. They
are good flyers and are attracted to lights at
night. Found in warm, dark, moist areas such as
tree holes, ivies, mulch, woodpiles and soffits/eaves
of attics with moisture problems, they are very
mobile. The Smokybrown Cockroach has the
reputation of being the most difficult to
control because it is so active and has many
habitat preferences. Very thorough methods and
persistence are required for effective control.
They are most common in North Florida and
Georgia. |
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Brown Banded Cockroach |
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(Length: 1/2"- 5/8")
The Brown Banded Cockroach is easily recognized
by alternating light and dark bands across its
back. About the same size as the German roach,
but not as dependent on moisture, it can be
found anywhere in the structure. The Brown
Banded roach doesnt multiply as fast as the
German, but is considered harder to control
because they tend to be scattered all over the
structure. It shows a preference for warmer
areas over 80 degrees. Often found high on
walls, in picture frames, behind molding, near
appliance motors, in light switches, closets and
furniture. |
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Pennsylvania Wood Cockroach |
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(Length
3/4 1)
This outdoor dwelling roach is a trim, chestnut
brown insect that breeds in hollow trees, under
loose bark, in wood piles and crevices in rural
buildings. The male is attracted to light and
may fly into structures. |
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German Cockroach |
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(Length: 1/2" 5/8")
This roach, with two dark vertical stripes
behind the head, is found throughout the world,
thriving wherever man lives, eating the same
foods, sharing the same habitats. It is commonly
found in restaurants, kitchens and stores where
food, moisture and harborage are abundant.
Populations build rapidly from egg capsules
being produced about every 20-25 days. Each
capsule contains about 35 eggs, the young
maturing in about 100 days. German roaches
contaminate food, leave stains, create foul
odors and carry disease organisms. They hide
during the day, closely packed in small cracks
and crevices near food and water. |
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Widow Spider |
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(Length: 1 1/2" long)
The Southern Black Widow is glossy black with a
red hourglass marking on the underside of its
abdomen. The female is much larger and more
distinctly marked than the male. It makes a
strong, sticky irregular web in protected areas
where prey is likely to wander in and be
trapped. Foundations, vents, shrubs and wood
piles at ground level are common habitats. Their
poisonous venom can cause concern for small
children and older or infirm persons. Medical
attention should be sought if bitten. |
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Brown Recluse Spider |
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(Length: 1/4" 1/2")
The brown recluse is a brownish spider with a
distinctive violin-shaped mark behind its eyes,
which has earned it the name "fiddle-backed"
spider. It is found in undisturbed areas such as
sheds, garages and dark closets. Garments left
hanging for some time are favorite spots. Their
bite causes a severe systemic reaction and an
ulcerous sore with requires extensive medical
attention. |
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Flea |
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(Length: 1/32" 1/16")
Fleas are small, hard-bodied, wingless insects
with a flattened body and legs adapted for
jumping on to a host. The cat flea, most
commonly encountered in Florida, seeds mammals
for the blood meal needed to sustain them. They
can be a direct health hazard, transmitting
disease and tapeworm. Humans are often attacked
when other food sources arent available. Their
bite leaves a red, itchy spot on the skin. Their
saliva is irritating to the host, causing
dermatitis and hair loss in allergic animals. |
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Tick |
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(Length: 1/16" 1/2")
The tick is an eight-legged relative of the
spider. It must feed three times before hiding
and producing up to 3000 eggs in a crack or
crevice. The tick can live without food for up
to 200 days, waiting for a host, usually a dog,
to supply a blood meal. Many serious diseases
can be transmitted through ticks: Rocky Mountain
Spotted Fever, Typhus, Lyme Disease, Relapsing
Tick Fever and other disorders. |
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Clothes Moth |
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(Length: up to 1/2")
These are small yellowish or brownish moths.
Larvae spin a silken tube or case which they
drag around themselves to protect them from the
environment and their natural enemies. Eggs are
laid on products the larva will consume such as:
wool, feathers, fur, hair, animal and fish meals
and milk powders. Adults do not feed on fabrics.
Only the larvae damage household goods. They are
not attracted to light, preferring dark,
protected areas. Cedar closets will not prevent
them from entering. |
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[Close Household Pests] |
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Flying / Stinging Insects |
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Honeybees |
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(Length: 1/2")
These "hairy" bees have yellow and dark brown
coloring and thick bodies. They are not
aggressive and will leave people alone if not
provoked, but they are defensive and will attack
anything that threatens the colony or
individual. They forage on pollen and nectar
from which they produce honey to feed the
colony. Honeybees usually nest inside cavities
in trees, but will also nest in gaps beneath
rock formations. Their stings can be painful and
can cause a serious reaction (anaphylactic
shock) to allergic individuals. |
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Paper Wasps |
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(Length: 1/2 - 3/4")
Can be found in a variety of colors from reddish
brown to dark red to orange with varying bright
stripes of yellow and red. Paper wasps are
predators and feed on insects, spiders and
caterpillars. They build nests of paper-like
cells that are usually attached to the underside
of a support (i.e. an eave, window, etc.) and
hang down. They are very protective of their
nests and will defend against invaders with a
painful sting. |
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Yellow Jackets |
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(Length: 5/8" 1")
Often confused with honey bees due to their
yellow and black markings, they can be
distinguished from bees by their thin waists.
Yellow jackets are social insects and will
aggressively defend their nests, which are
typically located in the ground. They prey on a
variety of insects, and also forage on foods
people eat, especially sweets and meat. Their
stings can be painful and can cause a serious
reaction to allergic individuals. |
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[Close Flying / Stinging Pests] |
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