Pest Control St. Louis

Argentine Ant

Latin Name: Iridomyrmex humilis

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

Color: dark-colored

Other: It is also 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 discovered? 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 located in the lower eastern US area. As reported by Wild (2004), this species was originally described in the genus Linepithema by Mayr in 1866; as a consequence, the proper binomial should be Linepithema humile. It is a small, dark-colored ant about 3 mm (1/8 inch) long that invades homes in search of 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 extremely well adapted to urbanized areas of the US with mild climates and well-watered gardens. They pose a serious threat to native wildlife by upsetting breakable food webs. They are specifically formidable as a result of their aggressive behavior and the massive size of their colonies which can literally "team up" with other colonies.

If you live in southern California, you likely have observed endless single file columns of uninvited six-legged guests strolling through your house. They follow a pre-marked pheromone "scent" trail initially laid down by scouts who were looking for goodies in your pantry. Although they choose to outdoor life-style, they primarily enter houses for food and water. They are fond of sweets, tuna, syrups (even cough syrup), juices, eggs, dead spiders and rodents, puke, stools and almost any other living tissue they can find. They are fundamentally scavengers and they play a valuable role in the natural ecosystem–but preferably in Argentina. In hot, dry weather they often times search your home for water, including bathroom taps 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 look after their aphid friends from natural predators. In the fall months as the nights get cold, 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 freight in New Orleans. Being prolific breeders and constantly busy, they moved across the southern half of the United States. A single colony may contain 10,000 female workers, and there may be hundreds of colonies around your house; the total number of ants could also reach a million. Although they cannot sting, they can bite; all the same, they are only 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 are 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 enormous 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 mum 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 seen this Lilliputian massacre in a termite infested table in the Palomar School greenhouse.

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

Argentine ants have become a serious threat to the coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum) in southern California. The primary food source for these endangered lizards are native harvester ants, particularly the California harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus). I spent many years observing this interesting red ant while grown up in San Gabriel Valley, and I can personally testify that it provides a agonizing 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 a 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 a few of the dry habitats where native harvester ants and desert horned lizards (P. platyrhinos) still live. Naturally, 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 as they tend and look after 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 earth, often beneath manure piles, compost and haystacks.

As reported by 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 perhaps 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. As a matter of fact, a queen from San Diego would in all likelihood be accepted in a colony elsewhere in California.

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile): A wingless queen and various workers. Although these ants are simply 3 mm long, they are 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 freight in New Orleans. U.S. populations are so intimately linked 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 as their DNA has developed much greater variation. Neighboring colonies may fight one another, despite the fact that they are simply 200 yards (200 m) apart. Also there are many native predators in Argentina, including fungal parasites and bacterias. The narrow genetic variability that has kept all the California populations on friendly terms may eventually backfire attributable to extreme inbreeding. Perhaps some day these ants might not have the genetic variability to adjust to a changing environment.

How To Control Invasions of Argentine Ants"

Empty your trash often and ensure your property has no crums and food particles that might attract ants. Ensure that food containers are tightly closed, without residual traces of the food on the sides of containers. These ants can also enter 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 abdomen that is frequently 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 close to white-footed ant trails, but only acrobat ant bends the abdomen up over the thorax. Acrobat ants also slow to a snails pace than white-footed ants when disturbed.

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

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

Outside the home, you will normally find Acrobat ants in a variety of dead and decaying wood. Firewood seems to be one of their preferred homes. In all cases, the timber they occupy will be dead. The acrobat ant never inhabits a nourishing or live piece of timber, which is why they like some of the woodworkings around your home. They have a nasty addiction of creating cavities in wood, especially if that wood is moist. They will even nest in foam insulating material board if weather conditions are right. One way to distinguish their invasion into your wood is to search for sawdust or other frass materials around suspected nest areas.

Several species of small to medium-sized ants are occasional pests in and around the home. One of these is named the acrobat ant as a result of the direction the worker ants carry their abdomens above the remainder of the body as if they were performing a balancing act. Acrobat ants are slightly longer than 1/8th inch. They vary in color from yellowish brown to dark brown, and the heart-shaped abdomen is usually darker than the remainder of the body. Magnification is needed 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 addiction of the workers to carry their abdomens up when they are disturbed is more than likely the best method to name this species.

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

When acrobat ants nest indoors they are normally inside timber or cavities kept moist with water from leaks. They may also nest in foam heat retaining 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?

As reported by a Pest Control company in St. Louis, acrobat ants entering from outdoors may be managed by sealing the outer crevices 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 can take care of this or for small problems, you can do it yourself. It could be necessary to drill small holes to achieve this remedy.

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

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

Preventing Diseases in Fruit Trees

If you maintain any pitted fruit trees like plums, peaches, or cherries, I'm sure you recognize that those sorts of trees are much more susceptible to diseases than any other type. While the fruits are delicious, it may be rather hard 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 primary ailment that you will hear around the most is recognized as “Brown Rot”. This is a fungus that attaches to nearly all of the leftover fruits after the picking season is over. Not only 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 like eating fungus). To avoid this malady, you ought to prune your trees often to encourage good air circulation. Buildups of moisture are the primary grounds for the brown rot. Also when you are performed picking for the season, you should eliminate 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, together with a large 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 permit the wounds to get better naturally in place of use the wound dressings that you can purchase 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 seen 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 complaint can readily re-enter the tree if it is within a certain distance.

Almost everyone who has ever maintained a cherry tree has answered the “Cherry Leaf Spot”. It usually shows itself when there are old dead leaves accumulated on the ground. Preventing this ailment is fairly simple. All you have to do is be fairly diligent in raking up all of the leaves that fall from your tree. If you've already seen signs of the ailment, you should destroy all of your raked leaves. If not, then you can make use of them as mulch.

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

Growers of fruit trees are forever faced with diseases and pests to worry about. Even so, if you take the proper precautions then you can avoid the majority of them. You should likewise search for any diseases that have been affecting your local area, and try to take steps to prevent those as well.

Carpenter ants are a nuisance by their presence when located in parts of the home such as the kitchen, bathroom, drawing room and several quarters. When 20 or more large winged and/or wingless ants are found indoors, in the day near one location, it is possible that the colony is more developed in the house and the nest may have been extended into sound timber, sometimes causing structural damage. They do not eat wood, but often remove quantities of it to expand their nest size. Nevertheless, but only if one to two large wingless ants are erratically crawling, they might simply be foraging for food with the nest located outside. Outdoors, they are frequently seen running over plants and tree trunks or living in moist, partly rotten wood stumps. Even so, carpenter ant inquiries rank first over all other household/structural pests in Ohio.

Identification

Carpenter ants are among the biggest ants located in homes and live in colonies containing three castes consisting of winged and wingless queens, winged males and various sized workers. Winged males are much smaller than winged queens. Wingless queens measure 5/8 inch, winged queens 3/4 inch to the tips of their folded brownish wings, small minor workers 1/4 inch and large major workers 1/2 inch. Workers have some brown on them while queens are black. Workers have large heads and a small thorax while adult swarmers have a smaller head and large thorax. Carpenter ants have a smoothly rounded arched (convex) shape to the peak of the thorax when considered from the side and a pedicel between the thorax and abdomen comprising of just one segment or node. They have constricted waists, elbowed antennas and the reproductive's forewings are bigger than the hindwings, transparent or brownish and not easily taking away. Adults are usually black with some species red, brown or yellow occurring on parts of the body and legs. Eggs are about 1/8-inch long, cream colored and oval. Larvae are legless and grub-like, later pupating in tough silken, tan-colored cocoons erroneously noted as "ant eggs."

Life Cycle and Habits

Queen Worker

Winged male and female carpenter ants (swarmers) emerge from mature colonies usually from March to July. After mating, males die and freshly fertilized females (mated for life), set up a new colony in a small cavity in wood, under bark, etc. and each lays 15 to 20 eggs in 15 days. The egg stage takes about 24 days, larval stage 21 days and pupal stage 21 days or about 66 days from egg to adult at 70 to 90 degrees F. Cool weather may extend this period up to 10 months. The colony does not produce swarmers until about three years later. A mature colony, after three to six years, has 2,000 to 4,000 individuals. During the first breed, larvae are fed entirely by a fluid secreted from the queen's mouth where she does not take food, but uses stored fat reserves and wing muscles for her nourishment. The few workers emerging from the first breed assume duties of the colony, collecting food, excavating galleries to enlarge the nest and tending the eggs, larvae and pupae of the second generation. Workers regurgitate food for nourishment of the developing larvae and queen. She has few duties except to lay eggs.

In later generations, workers of varying sizes are produced (polymorphism) into major and minor workers, that are all sterile ladies. Males formed are winged swarmers. Larger "major" workers guard the nest, battle intruders, explore and forage for food while smaller "minor" workers expand the nest and care for the young. workers, when disturbed, carry off the larvae and pupa, which has to be fed and tended or they die. In a mature colony, there is normally one queen with 200 to 400 winged individuals produced as swarmers. Workers have strong jaws and readily bite (sharp pinch) when contacted.

Nests are commonly established in soft, moist (not wet), decayed wood or sometimes in a current wood cavity or void area in a structure that is perfectly dry. Workers cut galleries in the timber, expanding the nest size for the enlarging colony. Galleries are occasional, usually excavated with the timber grain ( now and again across the grain) into softer portions of the wood. The walls of the nest are smooth and clean (sandpapered appearance) with shredded sawdust-like timber fragments, like chewed up toothpicks (frass), carried from the nest and deposited outside. These piles of wood fragments, often found beneath special openings (windows) or nest openings, might incorporate portions of insects, empty seed coats, etc.

Carpenter ants do not eat wood but excavate timber galleries to rear their young ants and carry aphids to plants, placing them on leaves for the production of honey dew. The food diet is of great variety (omnivorous) of both plant and animal origin such as plant juices, fresh fruits, insects (living or dead), meats, syrup, honey, jelly, sugar, grease, fat, honey dew (aphid excrement), etc. They feed readily on termites and usually never co-exist with them in a house. Workers are known to forage for food in as much as 100 yards from their nest.

Control Measures

The most significant and often most difficult part of carpenter ant control is locating the nest or nests. Once the nest location is discovered, control is very simple and simple. Sometimes more than one colony is present in the structure or on its grounds, so a thorough inspection is very important. Steps to a productive inspection include an interview with relatives, inspection indoors, inspection outside and sound detection.

Interview

Often both young and old of the residence know where ants are seen, where vast quantities are most prevalent, movement patterns, moisture in the structure, moisture problems of an earlier period, if swarmers were seen, location of sawdust-like material in piles, populations outdoors, etc.

Inspection Indoors

Nests can be located in either moist or dry wood. Even so, carpenter ants prefer to nest in moist wood with a moisture content considerable over 15 percent, often the result of rain, leaks, condensation, etc. Structural timber is about 12 to 15 percent moisture. A moisture meter can find wet places to pinpoint possible nest locations. Inspect behind restroom tiles, around tubs, showers, sinks, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerator drip pans, etc. Check timber subject to moisture from contact with the soil such as steps, porch supports, siding, seepage from plugged drain gutters, chimney flashing, wooden shingle roofs, hollow porch posts, columns, leaking window and door frames, window boxes, crawl spaces, pipes, poor pitch of porch roofs, flat deck porch roofs, under porches, attics, etc. Now and again, nests are found in dry environments, like hollow veneer doors, curtain rods, small void areas between the door casing and ceiling, false beams, or under insulating material in attics. Look for damaged timbers, swarmers in spider webs, timber piles indoors, piles of timber debris removed from the colony (pencil sharpener shaving-like), "windows" or small opening to a nest, etc. Gently tap floor joists, etc. with a hammer. A nest cavity gives a hollow ring. A knife blade will penetrate the timber if infested.

Baiting

Some possibly use tiny piles of sugar at two or three feet intervals around the kitchen, restroom, etc. in attempt to work out where the nest is located. Others use drops of honey or corn syrup placed on the back of masking tape. Make observations late at night, following ants back to their nest entrance.

Flushing Agent

A household aerosol spray, containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide, applied directly into crevices, crevices or holes, will excite the ants (repellent action) causing them to come running out informative the presence of their nest in some situations.

Inspection Outdoors

Search for ants traveling from a tree or stump to the structure. They may travel over tree branches or vines touching the roof, electrical and telephone wires, fences next to the house, piles of firewood, logs, or railroad ties nearby or hollow living trees with entrance knot holes, etc. Workers are briskest at night (midnight), traveling from their nest to a food source following trails but no particular trail leading instantly to the nest. They do establish chemical (pheromone) trails.

Sound Detection

An energetic colony may produce a different, dry rustling sound ( often times loud), much in-line with the crinkling of cellophane. It can be heard in a wall when standing in a room. A listening device, such as a stethoscope, may be of use when weather conditions are quiet and outside noises are at a minimum. Even a cat may hear noises in a house the result of ant mandibles (jaws) not from chewing timber or eating food, but as their form of conversation, in particular when the colony is disturbed.

Prevention

Homeowners should trim all trees and bushes so branches do not touch or touch the house. Correct moisture problems like leaking roofs, leaking chimney flashing, or plumbing, poorly aired attics or crawl spaces and blocked gutters. Replace rotted or water-damaged timber and eradicate timber to soil contact. Remove dead stumps within 50 feet of the home, if practical, and repair trees with damage at broken limbs, and holes in the trunk. Seal crevices and crevices in the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wiring occur from outside. Be certain to store firewood off the ground clear of the house and bring in precisely enough firewood (first examining it) to be utilized quickly . Consider non-organic mulches near the house in heavily infested ant areas. High moisture conditions must be eradicated to help control carpenter ants, prevent future attacks and prevent " wood decay" fungus infection.

This magazine comprises pesticide testimonials that are subject to change whenever. These recommendations are offered just as a guide. It is always the pesticide applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. Owing to change regularly labels and product registration, a few of the recommendations given in this writing may no longer be legal by the time you read them. If any details in these suggestions disagrees with the label, the recommendation must be dismissed. No endorsement is intended for products mentioned, nor is criticism intended for products not mentioned. The author, The Ohio State University and Ohio State University Extension assume no liability resulting from the application of these testimonials.

Damage from Termites

Owing to their wood- eating characteristics, many termite species can do great damage to unprotected buildings and various wooden structures. Their habit 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 timber; they also damage paper, cloth, carpets, and other cellulosic materials. Particles removed from soft plastics, plaster, rubber, and sealants like silicone rubber and acrylics are frequently employed in construction.

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

Safeguards:

As reported by a site manufactured for pest control in Saint Charles, MO http://www.2niceguys.com, it is advised to ALWAYS contact an expert when you think that there may be termites present at your home. They also state that you keep mulch away from your house and wooden deck.

Here are some other precautions that may be of assistance

* Avoid contact of vulnerable wood with ground by employing termite-resistant concrete, steel, or masonry foundation with correct barriers. However, termites are in a position to bridge these with shelter tubes, and it has been known for termites to chew through piping produced with soft plastics and even some metals, like lead, to exploit moisture. In the main, 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- treatment, have been in the main use since the 1970s, it is advisable that these be used primarily 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 stop the termites from gaining unseen access to structures. In most instances, termites attempting to penetrate a barriered building will be forced to enter into the less favourable approach of building shelter tubes up the outer walls, and therefore, they are often clearly visible both to the building occupants and a range of predators.

* Timber treatment.

* Use of wood that is naturally resistant to termites such as Syncarpia glomulifera (Turpentine Tree), Callitris glaucophylla (White Cypress), or one of the Sequoias. Note that there is no tree species whose every individual 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 timber that is absolutely immune to damage from every types of termite, some individual pieces of timber may well be attacked.

When termites have already penetrated a building, the first action is commonly to destroy the colony with insecticides before getting rid of the termites' means of access and fixing the problems that encouraged them in the beginning. 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) such as 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 can destroying the entire colony. More modern variations include chlorfluazuron, diflubenzuron, hexaflumuron, and novaflumuron as bait toxicants and fipronil and imidacloprid as soil poisons. Soil poisons are the least-preferred technique of control as this requires much larger doses of toxin and ends in uncontrollable release to the surroundings.

Carpenter ants are a nuisance by their presence when located in parts of the home such as the kitchen, washroom, parlor and other quarters. When 20 or more large winged and/or wingless ants are found indoors, in the day near one location, it is possible that the colony is well established in the house and the nest may have been extended into sound wood, now and again causing structural damage. They do not eat wood, but often remove quantities of it to expand their nest size. Although, if only 1 to 2 large wingless ants are erratically crawling, they might simply be foraging for food with the nest located outside. Outdoors, they are frequently seen running over plants and tree trunks or living in moist, partly rotten timber stumps. Even so, carpenter ant inquiries rank first over all other household/structural pests in Ohio.

Identification

Carpenter ants are among the biggest ants found in homes and reside in colonies containing three castes comprising of winged and wingless queens, winged males and different sized workers. Winged males are much smaller than winged queens. Wingless queens measure 5/8 inch, winged queens 3/4 inch to the tips of their folded brownish wings, small minor workers 1/4 inch and large major workers 1/2 inch. Workers have some brown on them while queens are black. Workers have large heads and a small thorax while adult swarmers have a smaller head and large thorax. Carpenter ants have a smoothly rounded arched (convex) shape to the peak of the thorax when looked at from the side and a pedicel between the thorax and abdomen comprising of only one segment or node. They have constricted waists, elbowed antennas and the reproductive's forewings are larger than the hindwings, transparent or brownish and not easily removed. Adults are commonly black with some species red, brown or yellow occurring on body parts and legs. Eggs are about 1/8-inch long, cream colored and oval. Larvae are legless and grub-like, later pupating in tough silken, tan-colored cocoons erroneously stated as "ant eggs."

Life Cycle and Habits

Queen Worker

Winged female and male carpenter ants (swarmers) emerge from mature colonies usually from March to July. After mating, males die and newly fertilized females (mated for life), generate a new colony in a tiny cavity in timber, under bark, etc. and each lays 15 to 20 eggs in 15 days. The egg stage takes about 24 days, larval stage 21 days and pupal stage 21 days or about 66 days from egg to adult at 70 to 90 degrees F. Cool weather may lengthen this period up to 10 months. The colony does not produce swarmers until about three years later. A mature colony, after three to six years, has 2,000 to 4,000 individuals. During the first breed, larvae are fed entirely by a fluid secreted from the queen's mouth where she does not take food, but uses stored fat reserves and wing muscles for her nourishment. The few workers emerging from the first hatch assume duties of the colony, collecting food, excavating galleries to enlarge the nest and tending the eggs, larvae and pupae of the second generation. Workers regurgitate food for nourishment of the developing larvae and queen. She has few duties except to lay eggs.

In later generations, workers of several sizes are produced (polymorphism) into major and minor workers, that are all sterile women. Males formed are winged swarmers. Larger "major" workers guard the nest, battle intruders, explore and forage for food while smaller "minor" workers expand the nest and care for the young. workers, when disturbed, bring off the larvae and pupa, which should be fed and tended or they die. In a mature colony, there is typically one queen with 200 to 400 winged individuals produced as swarmers. Workers have strong jaws and readily bite (sharp pinch) when contacted.

Nests are normally established in soft, moist (not wet), decayed wood or from time-to-time in a current wood cavity or void area in a structure that is perfectly dry. Workers cut galleries in the wood, expanding the nest size for the enlarging colony. Galleries are occasional, usually excavated with the wood grain ( sometimes across the cereal) into softer portions of the wood. The walls of the nest are smooth and clean (sandpapered appearance) with shredded sawdust-like timber fragments, like chewed up toothpicks (frass), carried from the nest and deposited outside. These piles of timber fragments, often discovered beneath special openings (windows) or nest openings, may contain portions of insects, empty seed coats, etc.

Carpenter ants do not eat timber but excavate timber galleries to rear their young ants and carry aphids to plants, placing them on leaves for the output of honey dew. The food diet is of great variety (omnivorous) of both plant and animal origin such as plant juices, fresh fruits, insects (living or dead), meats, syrup, honey, jelly, sugar, grease, fat, honey dew (aphid excrement), etc. They feed readily on termites and usually never live with them in a home. Workers are known to forage for food in as much as 100 yards from their nest.

Control Measures

The most important and often most hard part of carpenter ant control is locating the nest or nests. As soon as the nest location is discovered, control is very simple and simple. Now and again more than one colony is present in the structure or on its grounds, so a thorough inspection is extremely important. Steps to a productive inspection include an interview with members of the family, inspection indoors, inspection outside and sound detection.

Interview

Often children and adults of the residence know where ants are seen, where huge numbers are most prevalent, movement patterns, moisture in the structure, moisture problems of earlier times, if swarmers were seen, location of sawdust-like material in piles, populations outdoors, etc.

Inspection Indoors

Nests can be located in either moist or dry wood. Yet, carpenter ants prefer to nest in moist wood with a moisture content considerable over 15 percent, often a consequence of rain, leaks, condensation, etc. Structural wood is about 12 to 15 percent moisture. A moisture meter can find wet places to pinpoint possible nest locations. Inspect behind restroom tiles, around tubs, showers, sinks, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerator drip pans, etc. Check timber affected by moisture from contact with the soil such as steps, porch supports, siding, seepage from plugged drain gutters, chimney flashing, wooden shingle roofs, hollow porch posts, columns, leaking window and door frames, window boxes, crawl spaces, pipes, poor pitch of porch roofs, flat deck porch roofs, under porches, attics, etc. Often times, nests are found in dry environments, like hollow veneer doors, curtain rods, small void areas between the door casing and ceiling, false beams, or under insulating material in attics. Search for damaged timbers, swarmers in spider webs, wood piles indoors, piles of timber debris removed from the colony (pencil sharpener shaving-like), "windows" or small opening to a nest, etc. Gently tap floor joists, etc. with a hammer. A nest cavity gives a hollow ring. A knife blade will penetrate the wood if infested.

Baiting

Some may make use of tiny piles of sugar at two to three feet intervals around the kitchen, washroom, etc. in attempt to determine where the nest can be found. Others use drops of honey or corn syrup placed on the rear of masking tape. Make observations late in the evening, following ants back to their nest entrance.

Flushing Agent

A household aerosol spray, containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide, applied directly into cracks, crevices or holes, will excite the ants (repellent action) causing them to come running out revealing the presence of their nest in a few instances.

Inspection Outdoors

Look for ants traveling from a tree or stump to the structure. They may travel over tree branches or vines touching the roof, electrical and telephone wires, fences beside the house, piles of firewood, logs, or railroad ties nearby or hollow living trees with entrance knot holes, etc. Workers are most active in the evening (midnight), traveling from their nest to a food source following trails but no particular trail leading directly to the nest. They do establish chemical (pheromone) trails.

Sound Detection

An engaged colony may produce a different, dry rustling sound ( often times loud), much in-line with the crinkling of cellophane. It can be heard in a wall when standing in a room. A listening device, such as a stethoscope, may be helpful when weather conditions are quiet and outside noises are at a minimum. Even a cat may hear noises in the home caused by ant mandibles (jaws) not from chewing timber or eating food, but as their form of conversation, particularly when the colony is disturbed.

Prevention

Homeowners should trim all trees and bushes so branches do not touch or touch the house. Correct moisture problems such as leaking roofs, leaking chimney flashing, or plumbing, poorly airy attics or crawl spaces and blocked gutters. Replace rotted or water-damaged timber and eliminate wood to soil contact. Remove dead stumps within 50 feet of the house, if practical, and repair trees with damage at broken limbs, and holes in the trunk. Seal fractures and crevices in the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wiring occur from outside. Be certain to store firewood off the land far from the house and bring in just enough firewood (first examining it) to be utilized quickly . Consider non-organic mulches near the house in heavily infested ant areas. High moisture conditions must be eradicated to help control carpenter ants, prevent future attacks and stop " timber decay" fungus infection.

This magazine comprises pesticide suggestions that are subject to change whenever. These recommendations are given only as a guide. It is always the pesticide applicator's responsibility, legally, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. As a result of constantly changing labels and product registration, some of the testimonials given in this writing may no longer be legal by the time you read them. If any facts in these recommendations disagrees with the label, the recommendation must be dismissed. No endorsement is meant for products mentioned, nor is criticism meant for products not mentioned. The author, The Ohio State University and Ohio State University Extension assume no liability resulting from the application of these recommendations.

Argentine Ant

Latin Name: Iridomyrmex humilis

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

Color: dark-colored

Other: It is also 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 discovered? 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 low 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 can be extremely well adapted to urbanized areas of the United States with mild climates and well-watered gardens. They pose a serious threat to native wildlife by upsetting breakable food webs. They are specially formidable owing to their aggressive behavior and the enormous 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 walking through your house. They follow a pre-marked pheromone "scent" trail initially established by scouts who were looking for goodies in your pantry. Although they prefer the outdoor life-style, they primarily enter houses for food and water. They're fond of sweets, tuna, syrups (even cough syrup), juices, eggs, dead spiders and rodents, vomit, faeces and almost 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 search your home for water, including bathroom 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 safeguard their aphid friends from natural predators. In the fall months as the nights get very cold, they once more 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 busy, they moved across the southern half of the US. A single colony may incorporate 10,000 female workers, and there might be hundreds of colonies around your house; the entire number of ants could reach a million. Although they cannot sting, they can bite; yet, 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 just outnumber their adversaries until the enemy colony is destroyed. They even attack paper wasp nests under the eaves of a house, forcing the enormous 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 couldn't withstand an encroachment in Argentine ants. They also will attack bird nests, driving off the mum bird and killing the helpless young. One possible redeeming quality about these little warriors is that they could attack dry- wood (aerial) termite colonies in your home. I have noticed 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're all closely associated with the same DNA. They evidently will accept ants from different colonies as members of their gigantic family. As a matter of fact, Argentine ants from different colonies will actually "team up" and attack together in vast swarms. They just outnumber and overpower their enemy.

Argentine ants have become an important 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 many years observing this fascinating red ant while aging in San Gabriel Valley, and I am able to personally testify that it features 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 resulting in the excretion of native ants and coast horned lizards is the aggressive Argentine ant. Evidently the horned lizard is not like Argentine ants, and it's actually attacked by them in enormous swarms. Colonies of Argentine ants need a damp area to survive, and have not invaded a few of the dry habitats where native harvester ants and desert horned lizards (P. platyrhinos) still live. Naturally, 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 as they tend and safeguard 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 particularly 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 likewise 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 earth, often beneath manure piles, compost and haystacks.

According to entomologist David Faulkner, if you have a 10 x10 foot (3 x 3 m ) patio slab, you may have a million or more individuals and perchance 20 or 30 queens. They get along fine because they're all connected 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. As a matter 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 a number of workers. Although these ants are merely 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 cargo in New Orleans. U.S. populations are so closely linked 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 each other, despite the fact that they are only 200 yards (200 m) apart. Also there are lots of native predators in Argentina, including fungal leeches and bacterium. The narrow genetic variability that has kept all the California populations on friendly terms may eventually backfire because of extreme inbreeding. Perhaps some day these ants might not have the genetic variability to adjust to a changing environment.

How To Control Invasions of Argentine Ants"

Empty your trash often and make sure your property has no 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 also enter screw-top jars without seals. They follow the spiral threads until they're inside!

Avoid using 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

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 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 often 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 result in serious structural harm to buildings, crops or plantation woods. Termites are major detritivores, especially in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood 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. An ordinary colony incorporates nymphs (semi-mature young), workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals of both genders, often containing several egg-laying queens.

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

female that has flown, mated, and is producing eggs is called 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 work out 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 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, 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 abdomen increases the queen's body length to several times more than before 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 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. Louis seems to be booming as a result of the very dry season. http://blog.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 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 frequently appear). Termites en route 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 capacity to replace a dead primary reproductive and, at least in a few species, several are recruited once a primary queen is lost.

In areas with a different 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 in the course of 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.

Grey Squirrels are about 18 inches long head to tail. During the wintertime 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 summer. 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 people in the United States 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 in addition 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 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 ground during the evening hours. Found in woodlands and urban areas, the grey squirrel slides sideways around tree trunks to exclude of sight of its predators and likewise remains perfectly still from time to time to make itself more challenging to see. Busiest 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 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 using its sense of smell.

Adult grey squirrels breed twice a year usually January to February and June to July. Women 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" since they're 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 produced 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 beyond 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 den, however in the summer they each find their own separate den. The males den is commonly bigger 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 gets rid of their fur leaving them vulnerable 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 clear of feeders and cause harm to crops. They destruct forests 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 thus 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.

How to get rid of moles

Moles are ideal for leaving a lawn in full shambles with all the tunnels and tunnels (AKA run-ways), as their known in the pest control industry.

Another huge concern with a mole problem stems from causing problems to gardens. Moles feast on grubs, that is a big trouble in the Midwest. Saint Louis pest control expert from 2niceguys.com offers some important suggestions regarding these pesky little animals. And that is to limit a mole's power to feed in your yard or garden. If you get rid of the critter's food source, then the critter will find it's way to someone else's yard. You can get grub control, which is a chemical that can be employed and is ready at many home improvement stores.

Moles love beetle larvae, earth-worms and its favorite treat is the tasty grubs found beneath the soil. Moles typically don't injury to the vegetation because of their weak jaws.

James from 2niceguys pest control in St. Louis says, “Detecting which mole tunnels are busiest is your first step to remove moles.”

Of all the mole species, there are a couple ways to detect if mole tunnels are active. The first method for finding the “shallow digging moles” is to find a straight run-way and stomp on it using your foot. If the mole is still active in that area, you will notice that the run-way will be mended in about a day.

Another technique is to place a few sticks around the areas where you see a large number of of large molehills. As soon as you have discovered a spot where the earth gives way, you've found an energetic tunnel.

As soon as you have discovered an active tunnel you can do away with the mole with a pit-trap. The pit-trap technique incorporates simply digging your distance to the mole tunnel, being careful not to cause too much damage. Then, excavate enough earth to fit either a huge jar or coffee can into the tunnel in such a manner that the can is level with the bottom of the tunnel. Cover the tunnel with whatever will best keep light out, and check the trap once or two times a day. If you catch the mole, you can release it somewhere far away and live happily knowing you didn't hurt the little critter.

So you have a lively mole tunnel in your sights, but catch and release isn't the way you want to remove moles. Well, luckily for you there are a few very effective mole killing traps in the marketplace today. You have a choice between whether you would like to cut the mole in half, choke the mole to death, or impale the mole. Victor