Other Pests
Mosquitoes & Other Pests
Mosquitoes belong to the same group as the true flies, Diptera. As such, they have a single pair of wings. They typically have long, thin legs and a head featuring a prominent proboscis. Mosquito bodies and wings most often are covered in tiny scales. Adult sizes may range from 3 to 9 mm.
Mosquitoes are known the world over for their itchy “bites.” But they’re also known for spreading some of the world’s worst diseases, including malaria, yellow fever, encephalitis, and dengue.
Most female mosquitoes lay their eggs—up to 200 at a time, depending on the species—in water or near it, although not all species must hatch their eggs in water. Favorite places to lay eggs include any place that water pools, such as marshes and swamps, plus tree holes, discarded containers, and poorly maintained swimming pools. Transparent parts that cover the mosquito egg keep it from sinking. In warm weather, most eggs hatch within three days.
Bees
Bee’s body is divided into three parts: a head with two antennae, a thorax with six legs, and an abdomen. All bees have branched hairs somewhere on their bodies and two pairs of wings. Only female bees have stingers (originally used to lay eggs). Many bee species have black and yellow coloration, though many have other color variations, including green, blue, red, or black. Bees range in many different sizes from large carpenter bees and bumble bees to the tiny Perdita minima bee which is less than two millimeters long.
LadyBug/ LadyBird Beetle
- Oval to nearly round
- Colors can be red, orange, yellow, brown, or shiny black
- Head partly to completely concealed
- They only fly in strong directional afternoon sunlight
Moth
- Adults are about 1/16-3/16″ long
- Delicate and fuzzy
- Depending on the species their color can be pale yellowish, brownish, gray, or blackish.
- Places to check – Slimy drains, sewer leaks or backup, dirty garbage cans, bird baths or feeders, clogged roof gutters, clogged storm drains, air conditioners, cooling towers, most compost, etc.
Crickets
- Generally nocturnal
- Live outside
- Enter homes seeking moisture
- Feed mainly on clothing and carpet
- Also eats papers, cotton, linen, and proteins
- Usually 3/4″-7/8″ long
House Fly
- Adults are about 1/8-1/4″ long
- The females is usually larger than the males
- The females lay their eggs singly but in clusters of 20-50 for a total of 75-150 per batch and will lay 5-6 batches in her lifetime.
- House flies have shown to harbor over 100 different kinds of diseases
Fruit Fly
- Adults are about 1/8″ long including wings
- Females lay their eggs (average about 500) near the surface of fermenting fruits and vegetables.
- Attracted to primarily fresh fruits and vegetables
- Adult life cycle of 8-10 days
Silverfish
- Feed primarily on starch found in paper
- Cause damage to clothing by feeding on cotton and linen
- wingless with flattened body
- Found almost everywhere
Earwigs
- Earwigs are primarily scavengers and feed on dead plant and animal material
- Most active at night
- During the day they seek shelter under stones, boards, and debris
- Readily recognizable by the forceps-like appendage at the end of the abdomen
Sow Bugs
- Sow bugs are closely related to shrimp and crayfish
- They feed on decaying vegetable matter
- They Frequently invade damp basement and crawlspace areas
- They are found under mulch and vegetable debris and may infest potted plants
