Common Pest Profiles

Common Pest Profiles Serving Fairfield County, CT

Common Pest Profiles: Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants excavate wood in order to build their nests, hence the name “carpenter”. They usually invade wet, moldy or damaged wood first. But often continue into dry, undamaged wood. Carpenter ants range in size from one-quarter inch to up to an inch

They can enter your home through small cracks around windows, doors, or wire holes. They build their nests outdoors in various wood sources, including tree stumps, firewood or landscaping. They need a constant water source to survive. They will often enter homes

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Common Pest Profiles: Subterranean Termites

Termites can collapse a building entirely. The hard, saw-toothed jaws of termites work like shears and are able to bite off extremely small fragments of wood, one piece at a time. When damage to the structural timbers of a building becomes evident, it is usually the result of years of infestation. Thus, damage by termites is not a sudden onslaught that will cause a building to collapse in a few days. Generally, termite problems only occur some years after construction – usually 10 years or more.

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Common Pest Profiles: House Mouse

Mouse_HouseThe house mouse is the most common rodent pest in most parts of the world. It can breed rapidly and adapt quickly to changing conditions. They live in structures, but can also live outdoors. They enter homes through small cracks in search of a food supply and warmth.

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Common Pest Profiles: Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are oval, chestnut-brown insects and are flattened from top to bottom. Adult bed bugs measure about ¼ inch in length. The mouthparts are shaped into an elongated proboscis.

Bed Bug bites can produce irritating, itching, and burning sensations. Bed bugs feed rapidly, becoming engorged in less than ten minutes. The act of biting is usually not felt, but later there is an allergic reaction to the protein found in the bed bug’s saliva. A colorless wheal or lump develops at the bite location. Discomfort from bed bug bites may last a week or more. Occasional bites indicate a beginning light infestation of adults; many bites result from a heavy, long-standing population of nymphs and adults.

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Common Pest Profiles: Wasps, Hornets and Yellowjackets

Wasps from several nests may be active in the same vicinity. When a single wasp finds food, it must return to the nest, share its food with the colony and then return to the food alone. Other wasps in the area may observe feeding by this individual and are then attracted to the immediate area by what scientists call social facilitation. When there are several wasps feeding, then even more wasps are attracted to the food.

Wasp venom wages a staged attack against the nervous system on a cellular level.

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See Also:

Paper Wasps
Yellowjackets
Cicada Killer Wasps