House Mosquito
Culex spp.
Characteristics
Size: About ½ inch in length.
Color: Pale brown with whitish bands across the abdomen.
Behavior
It can be stated, most confidently, that the mosquito is the bane of man’s existence when it comes to human and animal relations. No other creature has caused mankind so much annoyance, grief and disaster than this blood-feeding pest. The mosquito not only takes our blood in order to provide nutrients to make eggs, which is an annoyance resulting in minor pain and itching, but it can leave behind serious health threats such as viruses, protozoans, and other disease-causing pathogens.
The house mosquito is actually a type of fly with a thin body, thin wings and long legs. The females are easily recognized by the long thin proboscis, or mouthparts, extending from the bottom, front of the head.
Only the female mosquito bites; male mosquitoes feed on the nectar in flowers. When a mosquito bites, she injects an anticoagulating agent into the skin to prevent the blood from clotting and allowing her to feed. It is the body’s immune response to the anticoagulant that causes the reddened welts and itching. People have varying reactions to mosquito bites, with some individuals experiencing rather large welts and severe itching.
Mosquito-borne disease is likely the number one cause of death in developing countries, and it has many times been instrumental in changing the course of history. Fortunately, the United States is fairly free of mosquito-borne diseases except for various types of encephalitis, most notably West Nile Virus (WNV) in recent years.
Birds serve as the environmental reservoir for WNV. The virus kills some bird species, such as crows and blue jays, while many other species are relatively unaffected. Mosquitoes feeding on infected birds pick up the virus and can subsequently transmit WNV to people and to horses.
Habitat
House mosquito larvae breed in standing water that remains fairly calm and undisturbed. Larvae are common along the edges of a pond or a ditch, but they will not be found in a quick-running stream or creek. As a rule of thumb, any water that stands for at least seven days can breed mosquitoes. Often, mosquito outbreaks occur within two weeks of heavy rainfall where ditches, puddles and other low-lying areas fill up with water.
Mosquitoes that attack people in their own yard are usually breeding close by on the property or on adjacent properties. Most mosquitoes found around homes are known as “tree hole” or “container” mosquitoes. This species does not breed in a natural body of water, rather the female seeks out accumulated water in hollows in trees; in water-capturing plants such as bromeliads; or in manmade containers such as bird baths, barrels, cans, clogged gutters and old tires.
Smaller children’s swimming pools and regular swimming pools that are not well maintained can also serve as a source for mosquitoes.
Tips for Control
Complete control or elimination of house mosquitoes around any property is not possible. Mosquito reduction, however, is very possible and involves a number of components:
Habitat Reduction – Getting rid of any item that could contain water and hold it for more than seven days needs to be addressed.
- Empty and refill birdbaths at least once per week.
- Drill holes in the bottom of tire swings to prevent rainwater from accumulating.
- Empty rainwater barrels and other containers every few days.
- Empty children’s “kiddie” pools regularly.
- Examine gutters regularly and remove debris.
- Fill in accessible tree holes with a material that will not harm the tree.
- Use soil to fill in low areas in lawns and landscaped areas that allow rainwater to collect and stand for more than seven days.
- Install an agitator in garden ponds used in landscaping or buy fish that eat mosquito larvae. The wave actions created by an agitator can prevent mosquito adults from successfully emerging from pupae.
Controlling Mosquito Larvae — For properties that have ditches, small ponds or decorative garden ponds, environmentally friendly mosquito larvicide’s can be applied to the water by a pest professional in areas in which mosquitoes can breed.
- The insect growth regulator (IGR), methoprene, affects only insects, interfering with a mosquito larva’s ability to pupate into an adult. IGR products are generally applied about once every 30 days to help reduce mosquito populations.
- Bacterial mosquito control products that affect only mosquito larvae also can be used, but such products require specific timing in order to obtain maximum results.
Controlling Adult Mosquitoes — The best way to limit mosquitoes is to prevent adult mosquitoes from developing by eliminating or treating breeding sources as described above. Because some adult mosquitoes are most likely always going to be present, treatments can be applied around a home to control as many as possible.
- A pest professional can apply residual products to shrubs and other vegetation around the home and yard. Since mosquitoes spend most of their time during the day resting in vegetation, such treatments can effectively reduce mosquito populations. Such treatments need to be periodically reapplied during the warm months when mosquitoes are active.
Some of the mosquito traps available commercially do attract and capture large numbers of mosquitoes. Concern may exist that such traps may draw mosquitoes from adjacent properties, so locating the trap at the perimeter of the property is preferable to placing it next to the patio, deck, etc. where people are active.
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Asian Tiger Mosquito
Aedes albopictus
Characteristics
Size: About ½ inch in length.
Color: Dark brown or black with numerous white bands on the body and legs.
Behavior
No other creature has caused mankind so much annoyance, grief and disaster than this blood-feeding pest. The mosquito not only takes our blood in order to provide nutrients to make eggs, which is an annoyance resulting in minor pain and itching, but it can leave behind serious health threats such as viruses, protozoans, and other disease-causing pathogens.
The mosquito is actually a type of fly with a thin body, thin wings and long legs. The females are easily recognized by the long thin proboscis, or mouthparts, extending from the bottom front of the head.
Only the female mosquito bites; male mosquitoes feed on the nectar in flowers. When a mosquito bites, she injects an anticoagulating agent into the skin to prevent the blood from clotting and allowing her to feed. It is the body’s immune response to the anticoagulant that causes the reddened welts and itching. People have varying reactions to mosquito bites, with some individuals experiencing rather large welts and severe itching.
Mosquito-borne disease is likely the number one cause of death in developing countries, and it has many times been instrumental in changing the course of history. Fortunately, the United States is fairly free of mosquito-borne diseases except for various types of encephalitis, most notably West Nile Virus (WNV) in recent years.
Birds serve as the environmental reservoir for WNV. Some bird species, such as crows and blue jays, are killed by the virus, while many other species are relatively unaffected. Mosquitoes feeding on infected birds pick up the virus and can subsequently transmit WNV to people and to horses.
Habitat
Asian tiger mosquito larvae breed in standing water that remains fairly calm and undisturbed. Larvae are common along the edges of a pond or a ditch, but they will not be found in a quick-running stream or creek. As a rule of thumb, any water that stands for at least seven days can breed mosquitoes. Often, mosquito outbreaks occur within two weeks of heavy rainfall where ditches, puddles and other low-lying areas fill up with water.
Mosquitoes that attack people in their own yard are usually breeding close by on the property or adjacent properties. Most mosquitoes found around homes are known as “tree hole” or “container” mosquitoes. This species does not breed in a natural body of water, rather the female seeks out accumulated water in hollows in trees; in water-capturing plants such as bromeliads; or in manmade containers such as bird baths, barrels, cans, clogged gutters and old tires.
Smaller children’s swimming pools and regular swimming pools that are not well maintained can also serve as a source for mosquitoes.
Tips for Control
Complete control or elimination of Asian tiger mosquitoes around any property is not possible. Mosquito reduction, however, is very possible and involves a number of components:
Habitat Reduction – Getting rid of any item that could contain water and hold it for more than seven days needs to be addressed.
- Empty and refill birdbaths at least once per week.
- Drill holes in the bottom of tire swings to prevent rainwater from accumulating.
- Avoid using barrels or other containers to capture rainwater unless the container is emptied every few days.
- Empty children's "kiddie" pools regularly.
- Examine gutters regularly. Conditions, such as debris or loose guttering, should be corrected.
- Fill in accessible tree holes with a material that will not harm the tree. Check with a local nursery for advice.
- Use soil to fill in low areas in lawns and landscaped areas that allow rainwater to collect and stand for more than seven days.
- Install an agitator in garden ponds used in landscaping or buy fish that eat mosquito larvae. The wave actions created by an agitator can prevent mosquito adults from successfully emerging from pupae.
Controlling Mosquito Larvae — For properties that have ditches, small ponds or decorative garden ponds, environmentally friendly mosquito larvicides can be applied to the water by a pest professional in areas in which mosquitoes can breed.
- The insect growth regulator (IGR), methoprene, affects only insects, interfering with a mosquito larva’s ability to pupate into an adult. IGR products are generally applied about once every 30 days to help reduce mosquito populations.
- Bacterial mosquito control products that affect only mosquito larvae also can be used, but such products require specific timing in order to obtain maximum results.
Controlling Adult Mosquitoes — The best way to limit mosquitoes is to prevent adult mosquitoes from developing by eliminating or treating breeding sources as described above. Because some adult mosquitoes are most likely always going to be present, treatments can be applied around a home to control as many as possible.
- A pest professional can apply residual products to shrubs and other vegetation around the home and yard. Since mosquitoes spend most of their time during the day resting in vegetation, such treatments can effectively reduce mosquito populations. Such treatments need to be periodically reapplied during the warm months when mosquitoes are active.
- Some of the mosquito traps available commercially do attract and capture large numbers of mosquitoes. Concern may exist that such traps may draw mosquitoes from adjacent properties, so locating the trap at the perimeter of the property is preferable to placing it next to the patio, deck, etc. where people are active.
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Bed Bugs
Cimex lectularius
Characteristics
Size: Up to 1/4-inch in length.
Color: Reddish-brown. Oval shape.
Behavior
It is likely that bed bugs are the most commonly known ectoparasites to humans. Nearly every child has heard the reminder, “Sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” Prior to World War II, bed bugs were fairly common in homes. Due to the introduction of modern pest control products in the 1940s, this insect faded from the American scene, and has only recently reappeared as a unique pest problem in buildings.
These parasites are blood feeders, and they crawl into beds during the night while their victims are sleeping. The bite is painless and a number of bed bugs may feed for an extended period of time on any area of exposed skin. The resulting bite wound may show generalized minor swelling into a raised bump followed by itching. Fortunately, bed bugs do not carry or transmit any human disease, but the mere presence of any blood-feeding insect is disconcerting, at best.
Eggs are deposited in small cracks in the bed frame, mattress seams, or in baseboards, trim or furniture near the bed. The nymphs and the adults reside near one another, hiding in such cracks awaiting nightfall when they might venture out to feed. In some cases, bed bugs are harboring many feet from the bed in cracks in furniture, baseboards, doorframes, or even within voids in the wall. If populations become large, or when a host becomes scarce because no one sleeps in the bed for a period of time, bed bugs may crawl into other rooms or squeeze through walls to enter neighboring locations. They may also be transported from place to place hiding in furniture.
Habitat
Bed bugs are still not seen much in single-family homes, but they have become more commonplace in hotels, and apartment buildings. Typically, an infestation begins in a single hotel room or apartment and then spreads to neighboring units. Bed bugs spend the day resting in cracks or voids of furniture or walls.
Tips for Control
Positive identification of bed bugs is important because their close relatives, bat bugs and swallow bugs, can easily be confused with them. Misidentification can lead to unsuccessful control efforts.
Successful control depends on finding every crack or void where the insects are harboring and removal of the bugs by vacuuming or treatment of the harborage with an appropriate product. Overlooking even the smallest crack in furniture may lead to a persistent infestation, therefore beds; nightstands and related furniture often require disassembly and careful inspection. Carpets may need to be gently lifted along the edge and the space beneath treated. Baseboards, door and window frames, and any visible crack will require treatment.
Should furniture be moved from an infested unit to another unit, it should be carefully inspected and cleaned or treated as necessary to prevent the spread of bed bugs to the new room.
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Bird Lice
Families Ricinidae, Philopteridae
Characteristics
Size: Varies depending on species; usually 1/8-inch or smaller in size.
Color: Depending on the species, the color varies from tan to brown to creamy white.
Behavior
A number of species of lice infest various types of birds. The picture represented here is only one species.
On farms, lice that infect poultry are known to sometimes become a problem in barns, and they can bite humans who work with the birds. More commonly in homes and commercial buildings, lice that infest pest birds, such as pigeons and sparrows, may find their way into living spaces of homes. Although such lice are incapable of living off a human host, they have reportedly bitten people in a few, rare cases.
Usually, one or more specimens are discovered on a windowsill, on the floor, or possibly on a desk or table where they have exited the ceiling or wall and have dropped to die. Generally, such cases result from birds nesting in the attic, walls or on the outside edge of the building roof. Lice typically leave the bird’s nest and wander after the host birds have left. Occasionally, however, bird activity within a commercial building (e.g., a church bell tower) that has been allowed to persist can create an infestation of lice and other bird ectoparasites to the point that some begin to wander in search of new hosts.
Habitat
Like all lice, bird lice must remain on or very close to their hosts to survive. As a result, they can be found in association with bird nests located on or within a building.
Tips for Control
Lice may be discovered in a building when they have wandering in search of a host. Correct identification by an entomologist of the louse involved is key in determining the source of the lice. To control bird lice, the bird activity inside or on the building must be eliminated or prevented and all nest materials removed. Areas where nests are located often require treatment to eliminate any wandering lice. Additionally, wall voids and other voids may need to be drilled and treated, depending on the situation.
Regardless of the situation, any louse that is found should be examined and identified by an entomologist to determine its type and, thus, its origin.
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Cat Flea
Centocephalides felis
Characteristics
Size: Tiny insects measuring about 1/6-inch in length and are laterally flattened.
Color: Reddish brown.
Their flat shape allows cat fleas to easily pass between the hairs of animals. The cat flea is the species involved in most home infestations and will attack both cats and dogs. It is usually carried into the home by a pet. Once inside, large populations can build up quickly.
Behavior
One female flea can lay about 18 eggs a day and just 20 fleas on a dog can produce 360 eggs per day and over 2000 eggs in a week. After the home is treated, it may take up to two weeks or more before fleas are no longer seen. The reason for this is that flea pupae are unaffected by the treatment until the adult fleas emerge from their pupal cocoon. In any flea population, all stages of the flea will be present including numerous pupae. It will take several weeks for all adult fleas to emerge from these pupae and contact the treatment. Vacuuming as often as possible after the treatment can speed up this process because it stimulates adult fleas to emerge from their cocoons.
Habitat
Fleas are ectoparasites of animals, meaning they live on the outside of the body and need to feed on the blood of these animals in order to produce eggs. Because fleas usually feed and lay their eggs while the pet is sleeping, the pet's resting areas are where the most fleas will be found. Many pets acquire fleas outside in the yard. Research has demonstrated that urban wildlife, such as raccoons and opossums, are commonly responsible for introducing these insect pests onto residential properties where the pets can encounter them.
Tips for Control
Controlling a flea infestation successfully requires four steps:
- Preparation for treatment.
- Treatment of pets.
- Treatment of the inside premises.
- Treatment of flea activity sites outside.
Obviously, the pet is critical to minimizing flea infestations and regular grooming helps to limit fleas on the pet. For this reason, customers need to keep the pet groomed and treated with on-animal flea control products.
Step One. Any flea treatment will be less effective if the home is not prepared properly by completing the following steps:
- Remove all items, such as toys, clothes, and pet food from all floors.
- Remove all items from under beds and in the bottom of closets.
- Wash or replace pet bedding.
- Vacuum all carpets and rugs thoroughly, including beneath beds and upholstered furniture.
- Clean all wood, tile, and linoleum floors by sweeping and mopping.
- Clean concrete floors with soap and water in the garage, basement, or enclosed patio where pets rest or stay.
- Remove all pets including birds and reptiles. Cover fish tanks with a damp towel and turn off the air pump.
- Replace any pet bedding outdoors and make all shaded areas, crawl spaces, etc. available for treatment.
- Arrange to be out of the home for several hours until the treatment has thoroughly dried.
Step Two. The homeowner needs to arrange for treating the pet. A number of on-animal treatment products are now available. Treatment of pets should be done under the direction of a veterinarian.
Step Three. In homes that have an active flea infestation, a residual treatment combined with an insect growth regulator should be applied. A professional, like Terminix, can best accomplish this treatment by using specialized equipment. Efforts should be focused on the areas where pets rest or sleep. These are the sites where the most fleas will be located.
Step Four. Outside, treatment should be applied to shaded areas and beneath shrubs and decks where pets rest or sleep. Again, a professional has the right equipment to provide this treatment effectively.
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Human Head Lice
Pediculus capitus
Characteristics
Size: Up to 1/8-inch in length.
Color: Grayish-white in appearance.
Behavior
The occurrence of head lice is somewhat common among school-age children, particularly those in elementary schools. Younger children are more likely to wrestle, hug, sleep close together, or share hats, clothing, and brushes and combs—all methods by which head lice might be transferred from person to person. For this reason, head lice are a concern to most parents.
Head lice begin their lives as eggs or “nits.” The term “nitpicking” originated from the painstaking efforts required to go through a person’s hair to remove head lice and their eggs. The female louse attaches each egg to the base of a hair near to the scalp. One female can deposit 80 to 100 eggs during her lifetime. Nits are somewhat oval and have a cap on the top through which the nymph will emerge. They are often confused with globules of hair spray on hairs, but an experienced eye can easily distinguish the difference. If the nit is found one inch or further from the scalp, it is likely already hatched or is dead.
The eggs hatch in approximately seven to nine days and the nymphs begin feeding on blood through the scalp. The nymph will molt three times before maturing into an adult -- a process completed in eight to nine days. Adults may live about three weeks or a bit longer.
Because lice generally feed at night, infected persons will experience the most discomfort and itching while trying to sleep.
Habitat
The human head louse is almost exclusively found living within the hairs of the human head. Lice can survive short periods on hats, brushes, combs, pillows or towels. They will, however, die within 24 to 48 hours off the host.
Tips for Control
The presence of head lice is a medical issue and should be diagnosed and treated by a physician. Typically, a physician will prescribe a louse control shampoo or similar product. Also, a fine-toothed comb may be used to help remove lice and some nits from hairs. It is important to note that the label directions of any louse control product should be strictly followed. Reports of concerned or panicked parents applying such products daily or at higher than label-directed dosages have occurred. Such misuse of these products is potentially unsafe for the lice-infested person; much like taking a higher dose of medication than recommended by a physician is unsafe.
A pest management professional can do nothing to help in dealing with this insect. The premises do not require treatment. Noninfested family members should not share combs, brushes, hats, towels or bedding with an infested person until that person’s louse infestation has been eliminated. Use hot water and detergent to wash bedding, clothing, towels, etc. that have been in contact with an infested person. Combs and brushes can be boiled for a minute or so in water and then washed thoroughly with soap and water.
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Kissing Bug
Triatoma spp.
Characteristics
Size: About one inch in length.
Color: Varies from brown to dark gray.
Behavior
Kissing bugs are members of the genus Triatoma and belong to the insect Family Reduviidae known as “assassin bugs” because they are predators that capture and eat insects and possibly small reptiles. However, members of the genus Triatoma are the exception in the family because they feed on the blood of mammals, birds and other vertebrates. They are called kissing bugs because the species that is most often associated with human exposure may often feed around the human lips and facial areas. The bite of kissing bugs is essentially painless, and the victim rarely awakens during the feeding period which can last 15 minutes or longer. The bugs will feed on any exposed portion of the body, but bites normally occur around the face, including around the eyes.
These insects are most common in Central and South America and are the principal carriers of the trypanosome organism, Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease. This disease is endemic in many regions of Central and South America but is relatively unknown in the United States.
It is important to point out that kissing bugs in the United States are not known to transmit the Chagas disease organism, although some species may be carriers of the trypanosome. Recent cases of Chagas disease in the United States have been the result of people traveling to Central or South America and encountering infected kissing bugs in those countries.
Habitat
Of the 12 species of kissing bugs known in the mainland United States , only a few are considered “peridomestic,” meaning they may live in or near buildings. Most species are sylvantic, living in wooded areas far from human habitation. They live close to their hosts, which are usually wild rodents in the U.S. , and may also feed on raccoons, possums and even cats and dogs. Pack (wood) rat burrows are common homes to these blood-feeding insects.
Kissing bugs will be found wherever rodents are found living – piles of lumber, bricks and firewood, or in sheds, under decks, in barns, and even in dog houses. Attics and crawlspaces may also provide harborage for these insects. Inside buildings, they rest during the day, hiding under and behind furniture and similar dark areas before seeking out a person to feed upon when the room is dark. They are strong fliers and are attracted to bright lights on buildings. Most often, the homes that experience kissing bug invasions are those located in secluded areas, usually wooded lots.
Tips for Control
Should kissing bugs be found inside a home, the services of an experienced professional should be strongly considered. Terminix recommends the following tips:
- Control rodents to limit the kissing bug’s host.
- Remove potential harborage from the property.
- Keep exterior lighting off or switch to yellow “bug light” bulbs to possibly reduce the numbers of bugs attracted to the home or building.
- Seal exterior cracks and holes in the walls.
- Use tight-fitting insect and rodent screening in attics and foundation vents.
- Install fitted, screened caps in chimneys to reduce animal access.
- Remove any raccoons, rodents or other animals from attics or substructures.
- Use sticky insect traps to capture bugs and reduce the population.
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Pubic (Crab) Lice
Pthirus pubis
Characteristics
Size: About 1/8-inch in length. They have six legs and are crab-like in appearance. The front two legs are larger with crab-like claws at the ends designed to grasp hairs.
Color: Ranges from tan to grayish-white.
Behavior
Pubic lice are ectoparasites that feed on the blood of humans. Known as crab lice, they are most commonly contracted via sexual contact. Very rarely will they transfer to another person from shared towels, clothes or bed linens. A common misconception is that they can be contracted from toilet seats. Not only can this louse not survive long off the host, but also it is incapable of crawling or holding onto smooth surfaces such as toilet seats.
The adult female lays eggs, called “nits,” which she attaches to the bases of hairs near the body. Nits are usually oval in shape, yellow to white in color, and are very difficult to see with the unaided eye. The tiny nymphs hatch in about one week and then begin to feed. They mature into adults in about 7 days. Pubic lice must remain on a host human to survive. Should they fall off the host, they will die within 24 to 48 hours.
Habitat
Pubic lice are found most often on the body in the genital area on pubic hair. Occasionally, they may be found elsewhere, such as armpits or facial hair, including mustaches, beards, or eyebrows.
Tips for Control
The presence of pubic lice is a medical issue and should be diagnosed and treated by a physician. A pest management professional can do nothing to help in dealing with this insect. Because the lice cannot live if they are not on a host, a home does not require treatment.
Bedding, clothing, towels, etc. that have been in contact with an infested person can be washed in hot water and detergent for sterilization. Cleaning with any standard bathroom-cleaning product can sanitize the shower and bathroom.
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Thrips
Order Thysanoptera
Characteristics
Size: Tiny insect; only one to five millimeters in length.
Color: Varies, depending on species. Most are dark with whitish or translucent wings that are long, thin and fringed with long hairs.
Behavior
Thrips primarily feed on plants, although some species are predaceous or feed on fungal spores. These insects are usually seen in buildings only when the populations on landscape plants grow large. Thrips may be attracted to buildings by the heat or coolness given off or by other factors. Once on a building, their tiny size gives them easy access inside—insect screens pose no barrier to them.
These insects are important because they will bite people even though they do not feed on blood like mosquitoes and mites. It is unknown why they bite when they land on
exposed skin, but the resulting bite can produce a stinging sensation and be quite painful. Often, bites occur to people sitting or working outdoors near plants, which
harbor the thrips. They may fly onto a patio or deck, and then land on a person and bite.
Habitat
Shrubs and other landscape plantings attract thrips to and around buildings.
Tips for Control
Once thrips are identified as the culprit, the plantings they infest will require treatment. A tree and shrub company, such as TruGreen ChemLawn, completes such treatment.
Pest control companies do not typically carry the necessary licenses to treat plant pests, but some pest control companies will be licensed and offer such services. It is
recommended to consult a professional for advice.
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