Ants

Characteristics:

• Social insects
• Different species identified by number of nodes
• Different species have different sizes of workers
• A colony consists of
• • 1 or more reproductives
  • Collection of workers
  • Eggs, larvae, and pupae
• They may nest in the ground, wood, cement, and wall voids

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Bees, Wasp, Hornets, and Yellowjackets

Description:

• Some are social and live in colonies (Vespidae)
• • (nests)Queen, Eggs, Workers, and brood
  • Paper wasps, Hornets, and Yellowjackets 
• Some are solitary (Sphecidae)
• • No colonies
  • an adult female builds a nest for each egg and leaves an insect for the larvae to eat.
  • Mud daubers and digger wasps

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Wood-Destroying Insects

This includes

• Termites 
•  Powderpost Beatles
• Carpenter ants
• Carpenter Bees

Wood-Destroying Insects

Cockroaches

Characteristics:

• They produce odorous secretions from various points in their body which can affect flavor of foods
• They have disease producing organisms on their bodies such as bacteria, protozoa, and other microorganisms
• Different forms of gastroenteritis is transmitted
• • Food poisoning, nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrea, dysentery, and other illnesses
• Their excrement and cast skins can contain allergens that can cause allergic responses in humans such as
• • skin rashes, watery eyes, and sneezing

History:

• Most common insects
• Known to be present on Earth for 350 million years
• Sizes vary considerably
• One of the most adaptable insect group
• Approximately 3,500 species worldwide
• 70 species in the US
• German cockroaches are most prevelant species encountered in the US

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Stored Product Pest

Characteristics:

• Identified by their feeding habits

      Feeding habits of Stored product pests:

• Internal feeders
• • Feed within kernals of whole grain
• External feeders
• • Feed on outside of grain
• Scavengers
• • Feed on grain only (after seed has been broken)
• Secondary Pests
• • Feed on matter that is in the deteriorting phase

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Occasional Invaders

(Arthopods)

Description:

• Pests that occur in buildings
• They do not complete life cycle in buildings

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Description:

• Fourth largest order of insects
• Food source to many animals and some plants
• Help recycle nutrients of manure back into the ground
• Can cause disease in humans and animals
• Breed in and feed on decaying organic matter

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Fleas, Ticks and other Ectoparasites

Description:

• Arthropods that lives on or feeds from its host for entire life cycle
• Parasites that feed on the external surface of the host
• They feed on
• • Blood and Body fluids
• Some carry disease causing organisms such as
• • bacteria, protozoans, rickettsias or viruses

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Commensal Rodents

Description:

• Part of the mammalia class
• They are commensal and semi commensal rodents
• Live in all types of habitats on Earth
• Cryptobiotic:
• • Secretive
• Kinesthetic:
• • Can memorize muscular movements to travel a path
• Olfaction:
• • Great sense of smell
• Causes serious health issues among humans

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Wildlife

Any wild vertebrates, other than commensal rodents and birds

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Birds

Description:

Birds as pests

• Cause agricultural damage
• Can damage aircraft and structures
• Can cause disease that affect humans and animals such as
• • histoplasmosis, chlamydiosis, and salmonellosis
  • A variety of ectoparasites (mites, ticks)
• Can bite humans
• Can bring arthropods into nesting sites
• Can cause noise
• Can displace other preferred species
• Can ruin areas with their droppings

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