Insect and Rodent Identification - Pest Control Services - Wells Pest Control

STORED PRODUCT:

These are the most common insects in ready-mixed packages of biscuit flour. Insects deposit eggs on the outside of packages and the larvae bores through the packaging material. Closures are the weak point in packaging. Adults and larvae of flour beetles & sawtoothed grain beetles reach the food through the openings left in the sealing & not by gnawing through the cover. Glass jars or metal cans/drums with tight fitting lids can totally exclude insects. Packaging companies now greatly enhance exclusion of insects by use of insect resistant packages & materials treated with repellents, such as oil of wintergreen.

INDIAN MEAL MOTH, SAW TOOTH GRAIN BEETLE, & CONFUSED FLOUR BEETLE

Saw Tooth Grain Beetle

Indian Meal Moth

Flour Beetle

OCCASIONAL INVADERS:

PHAROAH ANT
Pharaoh Ants are small ants and may vary in color from a pale yellowish tan to red. The pharaoh ants are notorious for getting into things like opened packages of cookie on the counter top or inside cabinets. They prefer to feed on sweets and are attracted to jellies, fruit and fruit juices, and sugar. They also will feed on greases and are voracious predators attacking other ants, grubs, worms, and dead insects.

Pharaoh ants prefer to nest in area that are relatively warm and they like to travel along water and electrical lines.

EASTERN BOX ELDER
The adult is black with a central & a pair of lateral thin red lines on its pronotum: these lateral lines continue about half the length of the outer wings edge. The transition zone between the thickened & membranous portions of the forewings are also marked with thin cross angle lines. The prime host of the boxelder bug is the boxelder tree, which is native to the midwest. They also feed on the silver maple, sycamore maple, and tree dropped apples, prunes, and possibly pears, strawberries, and other fruit, plus the carcasses of dead honey bees. The primary food source is fallen boxelder seeds.

LADY BUG
These are considered to be a beneficial insect due to their feeding of harmful insects. However, they can be a real nuisance by invading homes when the weather warms when they come out of hibernation. Most are shiny red, orange, or yellow with black markings. They are easily recognized by their round, often spotted bodies, less than 1/16-3/8" long. Both adults & larvae are predators, mostly of aphids.

FRUIT FLY
Fruit flies are small to medium-sized insects, 1/8-3/8" long. The larvae feed or on flowers or fruit, or form galls in plant stems. A few species are serious pests in orchards, attacking apples, cherries, and citrus crops.

HOUSE FLY
The house fly is 1/6 to 1/4" in length, with the female usually being larger than the male. The thorax bears four narrow black stripes & a sharp upward bend is present in the 4th longitudinal wing vein. Fresh animal manure is a favorite breeding medium of the house fly along with fermenting vegetable refuse, dumpsters, refuse containers & household garbage. Dog feces is also a common breeding area.

SOWBUGS & PILLBUGS
They have oval bodies, convex above and flat or hollow underneath. They rarely reach more than 3/4" in length. The common pillbug prefers moist locations and are found under objects on the damp ground, as well as under vegetable debris of all kinds. They are usually most active at night. Sowbugs can be identified by their two prominent tail-like appendages and the fact that they can’t roll up like the pillbug. They both occasionally invade damp basement areas, as wells as 1st floors of houses. They become inactive during the winter months except in artificially treated buildings such as greenhouses.

CENTIPEDE
Elongate, wormlike. Similar to millipedes but their body is more flattened. Legs (15 or more pairs) arranged 1 pair per body segment. Antennae with 14 or more segments. They are common found in the soil and debris under bark, in rotting wood, and in similar protected places. They are active & fast running and are predaceous on insects and other small arthropods. They have poison jaws with which they will paralyze their prey. They are relatively harmless to humans.

EARWIG
Earwigs owe their name to the widespread superstition that they crawl into the ears of sleeping people and bore into their brains. The pinchers are actually for offensive and defensive weapons and occasionally are used for capturing prey like aphids and flies. Earwigs are brownish to black in color, narrow bodied, elongate, and somewhat flattened, ranging in size for 1/4" to 1" in length. They are active at night and hide during the day, preferring to rest in dark moist cracks such as those found under mulch, bark, stones, and debris.

COMMON GROUND BEETLE
This is one of the largest families of beetles. They are usually found on the ground beneath objects; some are found on vegetation and flowers. They often run rapidly when disturbed. Most species are nocturnal and hide during the day. They are generally black and shiny or dark and their legs are long and slender. Mostly 5-15mm.

SILVERFISH
Silverfish are among the most primitive of all insects and are believed to be even older than roaches. They are long and slender wingless with short legs, long antennae and several elongated tail-like appendages from their abdomen. The average length is 1/2 inch.
Silverfish can be found in attics and basements particularly in old cardboard boxes that contain books and magazines. They are very fond of paper and book bindings. Even eating the glue used to hold the pages together. They will eat anything that has a high starch content and flours.

DRAIN FLY
Drain flies are called drain flies because they breed in drains. They are annoying in homes in sinks and bathtub drains. May breed in tremendous numbers in sewage-filter plants and then be carried by the wind where they penetrate through ordinary fly screening for 1 mile. There is not only a possibility of the transmission of disease by the flies, but the flies also stick to clothes, fall into food, darken lamps, mar fresh paint, and in some instances, make breathing without swallowing them difficult.

FLYING ANT
Most any species produce winged members. The majority of these winded ants are immature queens. These queens loose their wings shortly after mating. The male ants keep their wings throughout their life and die a few days after mating.

GNAT
Gnats are common insects usually found in moist shady places. Most species are 5mm. Or less, and dark colored. Larvae feed on fungi, decaying vegetation, or on plant roots.

PAVEMENT ANT
They typically range in size from 2.5mm to 3mm long. The body color varies from light to dark brown to black. They get their name from its habit of nesting beside and under sidewalks, driveways, and foundations.

WOOD BORERS:

SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE
Subterranean termites are the most widespread and destructive termite groups in the United States. Almost all of the termite colonies in Ohio are eastern subterranean termites.

These termites build shelter tubes from tiny particles of wood, soil, and debris they cement together with secretions and fecal material.

The worker termites are responsible for constructing tubes, tending to the nymphs, and feeding the entire colony.

The soldier termites compromise about 3% of the colony and defend the colony against attack from ants and other insects.

In the Spring, a termite colony produces winged members called swarmers. The swarmers emerge from the colony in large numbers and after a short flight attempt to mate and re-enter the soil to start a new colony.

After the king and queen mate, the queens sole purpose is to lay eggs that hatch into new workers and soldiers.

Worker termites are white, blind and about 1/4 inch long.

POWDER POST BEETLE
Powder Post Beetles are small beetles that bore into wood for the purpose of depositing their eggs. Once these eggs hatch, the larvae will feed on the interior parts of the wood for an extended period of time, sometimes in excess of 2-3 years. The larvae then develop into the adult beetles and exit the wood through small holes 1/32 to 1/8 inch. They will mate and re-enter the wood and start the process all over.

Powder post beetles damage can be determined by the presence of the many shot sized holes on the side of the timers and a fine powder sifting out of these holes. These beetles are fairy common in older timbers and houses built before lumber was dried in a kiln.

CARPENTER BEES
Carpenter bees are large solitary bees that chew 1/2 inch holes into exposed dry wood of buildings, decks, telephone poles, fences, etc.

The male carpenter bee usually hover close to the exit hole and chase animals and humans that they perceive as a threat. These males are harmless and do not even have a stinger. The females can sting but rarely do.

The females excavate the holes to an average depth of 4-6 inches. When they are finished they deposit an egg then build a wall and continue this process until she deposits about 6 eggs. The length of time for a new bee to develop is about 36-40 days.

Carpenter bees are most commonly detected by their presence and piles of sawdust directly under holes that appear to have been drilled into the wood.

CARPENTER ANT
Carpenter ants get their name from the fact that they prefer to build their nests in wood that preferably has been damaged by water. They don't eat the wood but simply excavate galleries that are smooth tunnels with a sanded appearance. Carpenter ants can sometimes be detected by piles of a course sawdust that they have dropped outside of the nest location.

Carpenter ants are typically black ants between 1/4 and 1/2 inch long Each colony has many different sized workers with specific jobs based on their size.
Carpenter Ants eat simple sugar and protein and may even cultivate aphids for their nectar.

Carpenter ants are primarily nocturnal but will remain active in dark areas of a structure.

Carpenter ants can cause significant damage to homes by excavating into roofs or around windows that had previously been damaged by water.

WOOD BORER BEETLES
Wharf borers are soft bodied yellow beetles about 1/2 inch long, with black tips on the wings covers. The larvae of this beetle lives in wood that is saturated with water.
Most people notice this beetle when large numbers of adults emerge within a structure. Most often, these insects are living in rotting wood from a previous structure that is buried below the new structure.
Old house borers are not common in Ohio. This can occasionally be found inside structures living in seasoned wood. The larvae feed on soft woods such as pine, fir and spruce. They can occur in log homes and the homeowner may actually hear the larvae chewing on the wood.

INSECT & RODENT IDENTIFICATION from WELLS PEST CONTROL