Pest Control St. Louis

Grey Squirrels are about 18 inches long nose to tail. During the winter months the grey squirrel may be identified by its salt and pepper body, tan specks in its tail and its white belly. Its body color changes to a yellowish brown during summertime. The grey squirrel has small ears and a large busy tail. Those located in Ontario and Quebec have a more dominate black color in their fur while people in the United States have grey as the more dominate color. Albino squirrels have been discovered sometimes, but are unusual. Grey squirrels use their tail for balance when climbing trees, as a blanket during wintertime months, and likewise as a communication tool by flicking it back and forth to alert danger and to give its position to other squirrels. The grey squirrel gets it name from the Greek words skia, meaning shadow, and oura, meaning tail, because when it sits upright the tail curves up behind them and shades them from the sunlight.

The Grey Squirrel and Red Squirrel are considered tree squirrels; ground squirrels include Arctic Ground Squirrel, Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel and several others in the earth squirrel group, Order of Rodents (Rodentia.)

Although the grey squirrel spends the majority of its life climbing and descending trees, it gathers the majority of its food from the ground during the evening hours. Found in woodlands and urban areas, the grey squirrel slides sideways around tree trunks to shut out of sight of its predators and also remains perfectly still sometimes to make itself more hard to see. Most active at dawn and dusk, the grey squirrel gathers different kinds of food during each season. During the early spring it gathers maple tree buds, in the summer months it accumulates berries, wild fruits, seeds, nuts and apples and during the fall it eats nuts, acorns, hickory nuts, butternuts, walnuts, beechnuts and pine seeds. They also eat insects, caterpillars and bird eggs. The Grey squirrel finds its food by employing its sense of smell.

Adult grey squirrels breed twice a year usually January to February and June to July. Ladies sit at the top of trees and make a "duck-like" call to have the males attention. Male adults then gather below the female who ensues a chase from tree to tree. Once she stops running, she mates with the male leading the pack. After mating, the male has no role in helping with the young. Female grey squirrels have one to six babies per litter. At birth the babies are called "pinkies" because they are born blind and without fur. They gain their hair at around three weeks old and are then called kits, kittens or pups. Once a kit is twelve weeks old, it leaves the nest. The nest of the grey squirrel is manufactured in the cavities of trees now and again in used woodpecker holes. If there are no cavities available, the grey squirrel will build its nest between tree branches. The outside of the nest is produced from twigs and leaves, while the inside is made of moss, grasses and bark. During the winter months, the man and female grey squirrel share a winter play room, yet in the summertime they each find their own separate study. The males study is typically larger than the females.

The enemies of the grey squirrel are weasels, red foxes, bobcats, wolves, raccoons, snakes, hawks and owls. The grey squirrel carries ticks, lice, fleas, tape and round worms and scabies that removes their fur leaving them susceptible to common colds and infections.

The grey squirrel can become a nuisance if located in attics. They also dig up bulbs in gardens, drive birds far from feeders and cause harm to crops. They destruct woodlands by stripping the bark from tree trunks and branches leaving the trees susceptible to disease and starving themselves for nutrients.

Introduced in Great Britain and parts of Europe in the early 1800s, the grey squirrel has been pushing the red squirrel out of its habitat by competing for resources. Grey squirrels are larger and stronger, can put on more fat to survive the cold winters and therefore hoards more food. They also are more adaptable to their environment and have been identified as a way to carry the Parapox Virus which red squirrels are not immune to. As a result of these aspects, the red squirrel is now listed on the endangered species list in Europe.

Termites

The termites are a grouping of eusocial insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy below). Simultaneously with ants and some bees and wasps that are all placed in the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labor among gender lines, produce overlapping generations and look into young collectively. Termites mostly eat dead plant material, more frequently than not in the kind of timber, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species (about 2,600 taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can cause serious structural harm to buildings, crops or plantation woods. Termites are major detritivores, especially in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of timber and other plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.

As eusocial insects, termites live in colonies that, at maturity, number from several hundred to several million individuals. Colonies use a decentralised, self- prepared systems of activity guided by swarm intelligence to exploit food sources and environments that couldn't be accessible to any single insect acting alone. A typical colony contains nymphs (semi-mature young), workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals of both genders, often containing several egg-laying queens.

Termites are occasionally called white ants, though they are not intimately associated with true ants.

female that has flown, mated, and is ovulating is recognized as a queen. Likewise, a male that has flown, mated, and remains in proximity to a queen, is termed a king. Research using genetic methods to work out relatedness of colony members is indicating that the though. In the families Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae, and perchance others, sperm competition does not seem to occur (male genitalia are very easy and the sperm are anucleate), suggesting that one male (king) more frequently than not mates within the colony.

At maturity, a primary queen has as a big capabilities to lay eggs. In physogastric species, the queen adds an excess set of ovaries with each molt, resulting in a greatly distended abdomen and increased fecundity, often reported to lead to a production of greater than two 1000 eggs a day. The distended stomach increases the queen's body length to several times more than previously mating and reduces her power to move freely, though attendant workers provide assistance. The queen is widely regarded a primary source of pheromones useful in colony integration, and these are thought to be spread through shared feeding (trophallaxis).

The king grows only slightly larger after initial mating and continues to mate with the queen for all times. This is very different from ant colonies, in which a queen mates once with the male(s) and stores the gametes always, and the male ants die shortly after mating.

Pest control in Saint Charles, MO seems to be booming thanks to the very dry season. http://2niceguys.com had a link to a piece of writing showing how destructive termites actually are along with pictures of termites hatching.

The winged (or 'alate') caste, also called the reproductive caste, are in general the only termites with well-developed eyes (although workers of some harvesting species do have well-developed compound eyes, and, in other species, soldiers with eyes often appear). Termites on the way to becoming alates (going through incomplete metamorphosis) form a sub-caste in certain types of termites, functioning as workers ('pseudergates') and likewise as potential supplementary reproductives. Supplementaries have the capability to replace a dead primary reproductive and, at least in some species, several are recruited once a primary queen is lost.

In areas with a unusual dry season such as Saint Louis, the alates leave the nest in large swarms after the first good soaking rain of the rainy season. In other regions, flights can happen throughout the year or more commonly in the spring and autumn. Termites are nearly poor fliers and are readily blown downwind in wind-speeds of less than 2 km/h, shedding their wings right after landing at an acceptable site, where they mate and attempt to create a nest in damp wood or earth.

Damage from Termites

Due to their timber- dietary habits, many termite species can do great damage to unprotected buildings and various wooden structures. Their addiction of remaining concealed often leads to their presence being undetected until the timbers are severely damaged and exhibit surface changes. Once termites have entered a building, they don't limit themselves to wood; they also damage paper, cloth, carpets, and several cellulosic materials. Particles removed from soft plastics, plaster, rubber, and sealants such as silicone rubber and acrylics are frequently employed in construction.

Humans have moved many wood-eating species between continents, but in addition have caused drastic population decline in others through habitat loss and pesticide application.

Precautions:

According to a website designed for pest control in Saint Charles, MO http://www.2niceguys.com, it is recommended to ALWAYS contact a professional when you feel that there may well be termites present at your residence. They also note that you keep mulch away from your house and porch.

Here are another precautions that might be of use

* Avoid contact of vulnerable timber with ground by employing termite-resistant concrete, steel, or masonry foundation with appropriate barriers. Even so, termites are able to bridge these with shelter tubes, and it has been known for termites to chew through piping made of soft plastics and even some metals, such as lead, to exploit moisture. In general, new buildings ought to be constructed with embedded physical termite barriers so that there are no easy means for termites to gain concealed entry. While barriers of poisoned soil, so called termite pre- remedy, have been in general use since the 1970s, it is better that these be use just for existing buildings without effective physical barriers.

* The intent of termite barriers (whether physical, poisoned soil, or a few of the new poisoned plastics) is to avoid the termites from gaining unseen entry to structures. In most cases, termites attempting to enter a barriered building will be forced to enter into the less favourable approach of building shelter tubes up the outer walls, and thus, they might be visible both to the building occupants and an array of predators.

* Timber remedy.

* Use of wood that is naturally resistant to termites like Syncarpia glomulifera (Turpentine Tree), Callitris glaucophylla (White Cypress), or one of the Sequoias. Note that there is no tree species whose every man or woman tree yields only timbers that are immune to termite damage, so that even with famous termite-resistant timber types, there will sometimes be pieces that are attacked. No types of tree produces wood that is perfectly immune to damage from every types of termite, some individual pieces of wood could be attacked.

When termites have already penetrated a building, the first action is typically to destroy the colony with insecticides before getting rid of the termites' means of access and fixing the issues that encouraged them initially. Baits (feeder stations) with small quantities of disruptive insect hormones or other very slow acting toxins have become the preferred least-toxic management tool in most western countries. This has replaced the dusting of toxins direct into termite tunnels that had been widely done since the early 1930s (originating in Australia). The principle dust toxicants have been the inorganic metallic poison arsenic trioxide, insect growth regulators (hormones) like triflumuron and, more recently fipronil, a phenyl-pyrazole. Blowing dusts into termite workings is a highly skilled process. All these slow-acting poisons may be distributed by the workers for hours or weeks before any symptoms occur and are capable of destroying the whole colony. More innovative variations include chlorfluazuron, diflubenzuron, hexaflumuron, and novaflumuron as bait toxicants and fipronil and imidacloprid as soil poisons. Soil poisons are the least-preferred method of control as this requires much larger doses of toxin and ends in uncontrollable release to the environment.

Preventing Diseases in Fruit Trees

If you maintain any pitted fruit trees such as plums, peaches, or cherries, I'm sure you realize that those types of trees are much susceptible to diseases than any other type. While the fruits are delicious, it may be rather difficult to live with all of the maladies that can plague the life of everyone who has ever grown one of those sorts of fruit trees.

The chief ailment that you will hear about the most is referred to as “Brown Rot”. This is a fungus that attaches to nearly all of the leftover fruits after the picking season has ended. Not just does it look disgusting on the leftover fruits, but it is in addition can come back on the newer fruits, rendering them inedible (unless you enjoy eating fungus). To prevent this malady, you should prune your trees often to encourage good air circulation. Buildups of moisture are the chief cause of the brown rot. Also when you are carried out picking for the season, you should do away with all of the leftover fruits in the tree or on the ground.

A cytospora canker is a disgusting dark, soft area on tree branches. Gum protrudes through the bark, along with a huge callus. The pathogen which causes these cankers usually enters the tree through older wounds. If you prune all of the sprouts that occur in late summer, cankers will have a harder time making themselves known within your tree. When you prune, always allow the wounds to get better naturally as opposed to use the wound dressings that you can buy at gardening stores. I've learned that these usually do hardly any to help any situation, and only help make the tree look unnatural.

Those planting plum trees might cope with something called Black Knot. The signs of black not are rough tumors or growths that can be viewed on the tree's branches. If you see some of these, you ought to immediately chop off the branch it has attached to. If you use branches for mulch usually, don't for this one. This disease can simply re-enter the tree if it is within a particular distance.

Nearly everyone who has ever maintained a cherry tree has resolved the “Cherry Leaf Spot”. It usually shows itself when there are old dead leaves accumulated on the floor. Preventing this ailment is fairly simple. All you need to do is be fairly diligent in raking up all of the leaves that fall from your tree. If you have already seen signs of the disease, you should destroy all of your raked leaves. If not, then you should be able to give them a try as mulch.

When your fruits ripen and become ready for picking, you should invariably be completely finished with picking within 2 weeks. It is best to daily go outside and pick all of the new ripe fruits, together with any that have fallen off of the tree or are beginning to rot on the tree. By using this method, you will prevent bees and wasps from becoming too reliant on your tree for nourishment.

Growers of fruit trees are constantly faced with diseases and pests to worry about. Yet, if you take the right safeguards then you should be able to avoid most of them. You should also search for any diseases that have been affecting your local area, and attempt to take steps to avoid those as well.

Termites

The termites are a grouping of eusocial insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy below). Simultaneously with ants and some bees and wasps that are all placed in the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labor among gender lines, produce overlapping generations and maintain young collectively. Termites mostly eat dead plant material, more frequently than not in the sort of timber, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species (about 2,600 taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can lead to serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation woods. Termites are major detritivores, specially in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of timber and different plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.

As eusocial insects, termites live in colonies that, at maturity, number from several hundred to several million individuals. Colonies use a decentralised, self- organized systems of activity guided by swarm intelligence to exploit food sources and environments that couldn't be accessible to any single insect acting alone. A typical colony incorporates nymphs (semi-mature young), workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals of both genders, frequently containing several egg-laying queens.

Termites are occasionally called white ants, though they are not intimately linked to true ants.

female that has flown, mated, and is producing eggs is recognized as a queen. Likewise, a male that has flown, mated, and remains in proximity to a queen, is termed a king. Research using genetic methods to work out relatedness of colony members is indicating that the though. In the families Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae, and perchance others, sperm competition does not appear to occur (male genitalia are very simple and the sperm are anucleate), suggesting that one male (king) more frequently than not mates within the colony.

At maturity, a primary queen has as a big capabilities to lay eggs. In physogastric species, the queen adds a surplus set of ovaries with each molt, leading to a greatly distended abdomen and increased fecundity, often reported to lead to a production of greater than two 1000 eggs a day. The distended abdomen increases the queen's body length to several times more than before mating and reduces her ability to move freely, though attendant workers provide assistance. The queen is widely regarded a primary source of pheromones helpful in colony integration, and these are regarded spread through shared feeding (trophallaxis).

The king grows only slightly larger after initial mating and continues to mate with the queen forever. This is totally different from ant colonies, in which a queen mates once with the male(s) and stores the gametes always, and the male ants die shortly after mating.

Pest control in St. Charles, MO appears to be booming as a result of the very dry season. http://2niceguys.com had a link to a commentary showing how destructive termites actually are along with pictures of termites hatching.

The winged (or 'alate') caste, also called the reproductive caste, are generally the only termites with well-developed eyes (although workers of some harvesting species do have well-developed compound eyes, and, in other species, soldiers with eyes often appear). Termites on the way to becoming alates (going through not finished metamorphosis) form a sub-caste in particular sorts of termites, functioning as workers ('pseudergates') and likewise as potential supplementary reproductives. Supplementaries have the capability to replace a dead primary reproductive and, at least in some species, several are recruited once a primary queen is lost.

In areas with a distinct dry season like St. Charles, MO, the alates leave the nest in large swarms after the first good soaking rain of the rainy season. In other regions, flights can happen all through the year or more commonly in the spring and autumn. Termites are virtually poor fliers and are readily blown downwind in wind-speeds of less than 2 km/h, shedding their wings right after landing at an acceptable site, where they mate and attempt to form a nest in damp timber or earth.

Termites

The termites are a grouping of eusocial insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy below). Simultaneously with ants and some bees and wasps that are all placed in the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labor among gender lines, produce overlapping generations and take care of young collectively. Termites mostly eat dead plant material, more frequently than not in the kind of timber, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species (about 2,600 taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can cause serious structural harm to buildings, crops or plantation woods. Termites are major detritivores, specifically in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of timber and various plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.

As eusocial insects, termites reside in colonies that, at maturity, number from several hundred to several million individuals. Colonies use a decentralised, self- organized systems of activity guided by swarm intelligence to exploit food sources and environments that couldn't be accessible to any single insect acting alone. A regular colony contains nymphs (semi-mature young), workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals of both genders, frequently containing several egg-laying queens.

Termites are from time-to-time called white ants, though they are not intimately linked to true ants.

female that has flown, mated, and is producing eggs is referred to as a queen. Likewise, a male that has flown, mated, and remains in proximity to a queen, is termed a king. Research using genetic methods to determine relatedness of colony members is indicating that the though. In the families Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae, and possibly others, sperm competition does not appear to occur (male genitalia are very easy and the sperm are anucleate), suggesting that one male (king) more frequently than not mates within the colony.

At maturity, a primary queen has as a big capabilities to lay eggs. In physogastric species, the queen adds an excess set of ovaries with each molt, resulting in a greatly distended abdomen and increased fecundity, often reported to extend to a production of more than two 1000 eggs a day. The distended abdomen increases the queen's body length to several times more than ever mating and reduces her power to move freely, though attendant workers provide assistance. The queen is widely regarded a primary source of pheromones useful in colony integration, and these are regarded spread through shared feeding (trophallaxis).

The king grows only slightly larger after initial mating and continues to mate with the queen for life. This is completely different from ant colonies, in which a queen mates once with the male(s) and stores the gametes always, and the male ants die shortly after mating.

Pest control in St. Charles, MO appears to be booming as a result of the very dry season. http://www.2niceguys.com had a link to a writing showing how destructive termites actually are in addition to pictures of termites hatching.

The winged (or 'alate') caste, also called the reproductive caste, are in general the only termites with well-developed eyes (although workers of some harvesting species do have well-developed compound eyes, and, in other species, soldiers with eyes quite often appear). Termites en route to becoming alates (going through incomplete metamorphosis) form a sub-caste in particular sorts of termites, functioning as workers ('pseudergates') and likewise as potential supplementary reproductives. Supplementaries have the capacity to exchange a dead primary reproductive and, at least in a few species, several are recruited once a primary queen is lost.

In areas with a unusual dry season such as Saint Louis, the alates leave the nest in large swarms after the first good soaking rain of the rainy season. In other regions, flights may occur throughout the year or more commonly in the spring and autumn. Termites are virtually poor fliers and are readily blown downwind in wind-speeds of less than 2 km/h, shedding their wings right after landing at a satisfactory site, where they mate and attempt to create a nest in damp wood or earth.

Termites

The termites are a grouping of eusocial insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy below). Together with ants and some bees and wasps which are all placed in the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labor among gender lines, produce overlapping generations and maintain young collectively. Termites mostly eat dead plant material, more often than not in the type of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species (about 2,600 taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can result in serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation woods. Termites are major detritivores, specifically in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of timber and various plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.

As eusocial insects, termites reside in colonies that, at maturity, number from several hundred to several million individuals. Colonies use a decentralised, self- organized systems of activity guided by swarm intelligence to exploit food sources and environments that couldn't be accessible to any single insect acting alone. A regular colony contains nymphs (semi-mature young), workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals of both genders, quite often containing several egg-laying queens.

Termites are from time-to-time called white ants, though they're not intimately associated with true ants.

female that has flown, mated, and is producing eggs is referred to as a queen. Likewise, a male that has flown, mated, and stays in proximity to a queen, is termed a king. Research using genetic methods to determine relatedness of colony members is indicating that the though. In the families Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae, and perhaps others, sperm competition does not seem to occur (male genitalia are very easy and the sperm are anucleate), suggesting that one male (king) more often than not mates within the colony.

At maturity, a primary queen has as a big capabilities to lay eggs. In physogastric species, the queen adds an excess set of ovaries with each molt, resulting in a greatly distended stomach and increased fecundity, often reported to run to a production of more than two 1000 eggs a day. The distended stomach adds to the queen's body length to several times more than previously mating and reduces her ability to move freely, though attendant workers provide assistance. The queen is widely regarded a primary source of pheromones helpful in colony integration, and these are considered spread through shared feeding (trophallaxis).

The king grows only slightly larger after initial mating and continues to mate with the queen always. This is totally different from ant colonies, in which a queen mates once with the male(s) and stores the gametes always, and the male ants die shortly after mating.

Pest control in St. Louis seems to be booming as a result of the very dry season. http://2niceguys.com had a link to an editorial showing how destructive termites actually are along with pictures of termites hatching.

The winged (or 'alate') caste, also called the reproductive caste, are by and large the only termites with well-developed eyes (although workers of some harvesting species do have well-developed compound eyes, and, in other species, soldiers with eyes often times appear). Termites en route to becoming alates (going through incomplete metamorphosis) form a sub-caste in certain types of termites, functioning as workers ('pseudergates') and likewise as potential supplementary reproductives. Supplementaries have the capacity to exchange a dead primary reproductive and, at least in some species, several are recruited once a primary queen is lost.

In areas with a unusual dry season such as St. Charles, MO, the alates leave the nest in large swarms after the first good soaking rain of the rainy season. In other regions, flights they come about in the course of the year or more commonly in the spring and autumn. Termites are virtually poor fliers and are readily blown downwind in wind-speeds of less than 2 km/h, shedding their wings right after landing at a satisfactory site, where they mate and attempt to form a nest in damp wood or earth.

Argentine Ant

Latin Name: Iridomyrmex humilis

Features: It is a tiny, dark-colored ant about 3 mm (1/8 inch) long that invades homes on the lookout for food and water..

Color: dark-colored

Other: It is in addition light to dark brown in color, and it has six legs, like all other insects. The Argentine ants' antennae have twelve segments. The thorax joins the abdomen by a thin pedicel, a thin stalk.

Where can they be found? Outdoors in soil, under timber, slabs, debris, mulch, or in branches and cavities of trees and shrubs

Shallow, 1- to 2-inch deep mounds in open, often disturbed habitats, either moist or dry

The most common ant in southern California is the Argentine ant (Iridomyrmex humilis). This ant can also be found in the lower eastern United States area. According to Wild (2004), this species was originally described in the genus Linepithema by Mayr in 1866; consequently, the right binomial should be Linepithema humile. It is a small, dark-colored ant about 3 mm (1/8 inch) long that invades homes looking for food and water. They are specially fond of sweets, but will feed upon practically any food. They love hard boiled eggs and carry small yellow clumps of yolk back to their nest in endless ant columns.

These ants are exceedingly well adapted to urbanized areas of the United States with mild climates and well-watered gardens. They pose a difficult threat to native wildlife by upsetting fragile food webs. They are especially formidable owing to their aggressive behavior and the huge size of their colonies which can literally "team up" with other colonies.

If you live in southern California, you likely have experienced endless single file columns of uninvited six-legged guests strolling through your home. They follow a pre-marked pheromone "scent" trail initially laid down by scouts who were searching for goodies in your pantry. Although they prefer the outdoor life style, they primarily enter houses for food and water. They are like sweets, tuna, syrups (even cough syrup), juices, eggs, dead spiders and rodents, vomit, faeces and just about any other living tissue they can find. They are essentially scavengers and they play a valuable role in the natural ecosystem–but preferably in Argentina. In hot, dry weather they often times search your house for water, including washroom faucets and drains. I once followed an ant safari into my washroom where they were neatly stacking their precious cargo of tiny eggs inside my toilet tank. They also relish the "honeydew" secretion of aphids, and protect their aphid friends from natural predators. In the fall months as the nights get chilly, they once again seek the warmth and shelter of your cozy home.

The first Argentine ants set foot on U.S. soils in the late 1890's, as coffee ships from Brazil unloaded their load in New Orleans. Being prolific breeders and constantly on the go, they moved across the southern half of the United States. A single colony might comprise 10,000 female workers, and there could be many hundreds of colonies around your home; the whole number of ants could easily reach a million. Although they cannot sting, they can bite; however, they are simply about 3 mm long and there tiny mandibles are too small to hurt humans. But, globally of insects, these ants are truly a living terror. They're very aggressive and readily overtake other ant species, even ants that are much larger and with powerful stings. Argentine ants are relentless and simply outnumber their adversaries until the enemy colony is destroyed. They even attack paper wasp nests under the eaves of a house, forcing the huge wasps to flee their nests in terror. Even nests of large carpenter bees are no match for these relentless ants. A "killer bee" nest probably could not withstand an invasion of Argentine ants. They also will attack bird nests, driving off the mother bird and killing the helpless young. One possible redeeming quality about these little warriors is that they could attack dry- timber (aerial) termite colonies in your house. I have experienced this Lilliputian massacre in a termite infested table in the Palomar College greenhouse.

Most ant colonies are very highly territorial, and will fight different colonies of the identical species. Since Argentine ants in the US arose in the original colonizers in Louisiana, they are all closely associated with alike DNA. They apparently will accept ants from different colonies as guests of their gigantic family. In fact, Argentine ants from different colonies will in reality "team up" and attack together in vast swarms. They simply outnumber and overpower their enemy.

Argentine ants have become a difficult threat to the coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum) in southern California. The main food source for these endangered lizards are native harvester ants, particularly the California harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus). I spent a number of years observing this interesting red ant while aging in San Gabriel Valley, and I can personally testify that it provides a painful sting. As of 2006, this large red ant is seldom seen in urbanized areas of coastal southern California.

California harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus), primary diet of coast horned lizard.

Urbanization has certainly been a factor in the demise of California harvester ants, but an even greater factor leading to the elimination of native ants and coast horned lizards is the aggressive Argentine ant. Apparently the horned lizard is not like Argentine ants, and is in reality attacked by them in enormous swarms. Colonies of Argentine ants need a damp area to survive, and have not invaded some of the dry habitats where native harvester ants and desert horned lizards (P. platyrhinos) still live. Obviously, they can readily colonize urbanized desert areas inhabited by people. Well-watered gardens with stepping stones and concrete slabs provide the idea living requirements for these ants. In their native Argentina they live under rocks.

Coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum).

Argentine ants are a terrible nuisance in gardens and orchards because they tend and protect scale insects and aphids. They even carry aphids to the tender buds of your prized roses. In return, the ants consume a sweet secretion from the aphids called "honeydew." In addition, swarms of these ants will invade orchard trees, destroying the fruit crop. This is especially serious in figs (Ficus carica) where the symbiotic pollinator wasps are destroyed.

Metallic green fig beetles (Cotinus texana) gorging themselves inside a fleshy, ripe syconium of the Calimyrna fig (Ficus carica). Although masses of minute, aggressive Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) are also foraging in the syconium (white arrow), the beetles are protected by their tough, impervious exoskeleton. These attractive beetles spend their juvenile larval stage in the ground, often beneath manure piles, compost and haystacks.

According to entomologist David Faulkner, if you've a 10 x10 foot (3 x 3 m ) patio slab, you could have a million or more individuals and possibly 20 or 30 queens. They get along fine because they're all linked with the original colonizers in Lousiana, perhaps from the original gravid (pregnant) female who arrived there. Workers live a month or more as adults, but queens live up to 10 years or longer. With other ants, when the queen dies, the one-queen colony dies because no more ants are being produced. With multi-queen Argentine ants, another queen simply moves in and takes over the role of the deceased queen. In point of fact, a queen from San Diego would probably be accepted in a colony elsewhere in California.

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile): A wingless queen and various workers. Although these ants are just 3 mm long, they're very aggressive and quickly annihilate other ant species, even larger ants with powerful jaws and stings. They overpower other species by their sheer numbers. Argentine ants in the U.S. are descendants of original colonizers that entered Louisiana in the late 1890's, as coffee ships from Brazil unloaded their load in New Orleans. U.S. populations are so closely associated that different colonies with multiple queens can literally merge together into supercolonies. Image taken with Nikon D-90 and 60mm Micro Nikkor AF-S F/2.8G ED Macro Lens using a Phoenix Ring Flash; hand-held at 640 ISO, F-32, 1/125th sec.

In their native homeland of Argentina, different colonies of Argentine ants are not so friendly to each other because their DNA has developed much greater variation. Neighboring colonies may fight one another, even though they are simply 200 yards (200 m) apart. Also there are lots of native predators in Argentina, including fungal leeches and bacteria. The narrow genetic variability that has kept all the California populations on friendly terms may eventually backfire as a result of extreme inbreeding. Perhaps some day these ants may not have the genetic variability to conform to a changing environment.

How To Control Invasions of Argentine Ants"

Empty your trash often and make certain your property is free of crums and food particles that might attract ants. Make certain that food containers are tightly closed, without residual traces of the food on the sides of containers. These ants can even get into screw-top jars without seals. They follow the spiral threads until they're inside!

Try not to use toxic aerosol insecticides inside your home–unless you don't care about your lungs or your bone marrow.

Try spraying a deodorant detergent (Pine Sol

Acrobat Ant

Latin Name: Crematogaster ashmeadi

Features: Medium sized, mostly shiny ant with heart shaped stomach that is sometimes bent up over the thorax when ant is disturbed.

Color: Color variable from light reddish brown to brown or black.

Other: Slow to moderately fast moving ant. May forage in tight foraging trails similar to white-footed ant trails, but only acrobat ant bends the abdomen up over the thorax. Acrobat ants also slow down than white-footed ants when disturbed.

Habitat: Acrobat Ants are found in the Southeastern US (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia), but can be located in parts of Missouri

Like all ants, the acrobat ants may produce winged, reproductive individuals (males and women) called swarmers. These sexually developed adults emerge from an established colony, normally in the fall, to disperse and commence new colonies. The swarmers are harmless, but they may be the first indication of an infestation. Special remedy of swarmers beyond vacuum-cleaning or sweeping them up is not required.

Outside the home, you will generally find Acrobat ants in an assortment of dead and decaying timber. Firewood appears to be one of their preferred homes. In all cases, the wood they occupy will be dead. The acrobat ant never inhabits a wholesome or live piece of wood, which is why they like a few of the woodworkings around your home. They have a nasty trait of creating cavities in wood, in particular when that wood is moist. They will even nest in foam insulating material board if weather conditions are right. One way to name their intrusion into your timber is to look for sawdust or other frass materials around suspected nest areas.

Several types of small to medium-sized ants are occasional pests around the home. One of these is named the acrobat ant as a consequence of how the worker ants carry their abdomens above the remainder of the body as if they were performing a balancing act. Acrobat ants are longer than 1/8th inch. They vary in color from yellowish brown to dark brown, and the heart-shaped stomach is commonly darker than the rest of the body. Magnification is required to see a pair of spines on the back edge of the middle section of the body that helps identify this ant from other species. The habit of the workers to carry their abdomens uphill when they are disturbed is more than likely the best method to recognize this species.

Acrobat ants may nest both outside and indoors. Outdoor nests are most often in dead and decaying timber like logs, stumps, dead trees limbs, firewood and hollow tree cavities. They may nest in damp soil beneath leaf litter or rocks. The small worker ants readily enter buildings through cracks around windows and doors and several openings. Trails of workers may be observed moving between the nest and a food source. Acrobat ants feed upon an assortment of foods, including other insects and sweets.

When acrobat ants nest indoors they are commonly inside wood or cavities kept moist with water from leaks. They can also nest in foam insulating board or sheathing. As they excavate the large galleries used as nest sites, sawdust can be deposited near the nest area.

How to Get Rid of Acrobat Ants?

According to a Pest Control company in St. Louis, acrobat ants entering from outdoors can be managed by sealing the outer fractures through which they enter, using a residual insecticide barrier along the foundation, or by treating the ant nest if the location can be established through careful inspection and observation.

Ant colonies living within the walls should be treated by eliminating any moisture problems (if present) and by injecting household insecticide spray or dust into infested wall voids. An exterminator may take care of this or for small problems, you can do it yourself. It may well be essential to drill small holes to achieve this treatment.

Insecticides containing pyrethroids are available to homeowners for outdoor use. Always follow labeled directs.

Visit your local retailer to discover a ready-to-use insecticide labeled for ants. Read and follow the directions on the label.

Grey Squirrels are about 18 inches long nose to tail. During the winter months the grey squirrel can be identified by its salt and pepper body, tan specks in its tail and its white belly. Its body color changes to a yellowish brown during summertime. The grey squirrel has small ears and a large busy tail. Those found in Ontario and Quebec have a more dominate black color in their fur while those in the US have grey as the more dominate color. Albino squirrels have been located once in a while, but are uncommon. Grey squirrels use their tail for balance when climbing trees, as a blanket during winter months, and likewise as a conversation tool by flicking it backward and forward to alert danger and to give its position to other squirrels. The grey squirrel gets it name from the Greek words skia, meaning shadow, and oura, meaning tail, because when it sits upright the tail curves up behind them and shades them from the sun.

The Grey Squirrel and Red Squirrel are considered tree squirrels; ground squirrels include Arctic Ground Squirrel, Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel and a number of others in the land squirrel group, Order of Rodents (Rodentia.)

Although the grey squirrel spends most of its life climbing and descending trees, it gathers the majority of its food from the land during the evening hours. Located in woods and urban areas, the grey squirrel slides sideways around tree trunks to exclude of sight of its predators and likewise remains perfectly still occasionally to make itself more challenging to see. Briskest at dawn and dusk, the grey squirrel gathers various kinds of food during each season. During the early spring it gathers maple tree buds, in the summertime it collects berries, wild fruits, seeds, nuts and apples and during the fall it eats nuts, acorns, hickory nuts, butternuts, walnuts, beechnuts and pine seeds. They also eat insects, caterpillars and bird eggs. The Grey squirrel finds its food by utilizing its sense of smell.

Adult grey squirrels breed twice a year usually January to February and June to July. Ladies sit at the top of trees and make a "duck-like" call to have the males attention. Male adults then gather below the female who ensues a chase from tree to tree. Once she stops running, she mates with the male leading the pack. After mating, the male has no role in helping with the young. Female grey squirrels have one to six babies per litter. At birth the babies are called "pinkies" because they are born blind and without fur. They gain their hair at around three weeks old and are then called kits, kittens or pups. Once a kit is twelve weeks old, it leaves the nest. The nest of the grey squirrel is manufactured in the cavities of trees sometimes in used woodpecker holes. If there are no cavities available, the grey squirrel will build its nest between tree branches. The outside of the nest is made of twigs and leaves, while the inside is made of moss, grasses and bark. During the winter months, the man and female grey squirrel share a winter children's play room, all the same in the summertime they each find their own separate children's play room. The males study is normally larger than the ladies.

The enemies of the grey squirrel are weasels, red foxes, bobcats, wolves, raccoons, snakes, hawks and owls. The grey squirrel carries ticks, lice, fleas, tape and round worms and scabies that removes their fur leaving them susceptible to common colds and infections.

The grey squirrel can become a nuisance if found in attics. They also unearth bulbs in gardens, drive birds clear of feeders and cause harm to crops. They destruct woodlands by stripping the bark from tree trunks and branches leaving the trees susceptible to disease and starvation for nutrients.

Introduced in Great Britain and parts of Europe in the early 1800s, the grey squirrel has been pushing the red squirrel out of its habitat by competing for resources. Grey squirrels are larger and stronger, can put on more fat to survive the cold winters and thus hoards more food. They also are more adaptable to their environment and have been known to carry the Parapox Virus which red squirrels are not immune to. As a consequence of these aspects, the red squirrel is now listed on the endangered species list in Europe.