Pest Control St. Louis

Grey Squirrels are around 18 inches long nose to tail. During the wintertime 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 located 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 discovered every so often, but are uncommon. Grey squirrels use their tail for balance when climbing trees, as a blanket during winter months, and in addition as a conversation 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 sun.

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 most of its life climbing and descending trees, it gathers most of its food from the land during the night-time hours. Found in woodlands and urban areas, the grey squirrel slides sideways around tree trunks to exclude of sight of its predators and also remains perfectly still now and then to make itself more difficult to see. Busiest 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 summer months it compiles 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. Females sit at the top of trees and make a "duck-like" call to get 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 manufactured in the cavities of trees often times 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 wintertime months, the man and female grey squirrel share a winter play room, still in the summertime they each find their own separate play room. The males study is typically 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 removes their fur leaving them susceptible to colds and infections.

The grey squirrel can become a nuisance if found in attics. They also dig up bulbs in gardens, drive birds faraway from feeders and cause injury to crops. They destruct woods by stripping the bark from tree trunks and branches leaving the trees susceptible to disease and going hungry 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. Because of these reasons, the red squirrel is now listed on the endangered species list in Europe.

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

Identification

Carpenter ants are among the largest 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 tiny 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 viewed from the side and a pedicel between the thorax and stomach consisting 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 usually 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 said 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 newly fertilized females (mated forever), set up a new colony in a tiny 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 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 incubate 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 different 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 has to 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 commonly established in soft, moist (not wet), decayed timber or occasionally 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 irregular, usually excavated with the timber grain ( occasionally across the cereal) into softer portions of the timber. 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, may 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 manufacture 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 as far 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 found, control is very simple and simple. Occasionally more than one colony is present in the structure or on its grounds, so a thorough inspection is extremely important. Steps to a successful inspection include an interview with family members, inspection indoors, inspection outside and sound detection.

Interview

Often children and adults of the residence know where ants are seen, where vast quantities 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 found in either moist or dry wood. Nevertheless, carpenter ants prefer to nest in moist timber 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 spots to pinpoint possible nest locations. Inspect behind bathroom tiles, around tubs, showers, sinks, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerator drip pans, etc. Check wood tormented by moisture from contact with the soil like 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 located in dry environments, such as 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 wood if infested.

Baiting

Some might use tiny piles of sugar at two to three feet intervals around the kitchen, bathroom, 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 at night, following ants back to their nest entrance.

Flushing Agent

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

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 alongside the house, piles of firewood, logs, or railroad ties nearby or hollow living trees with entrance knot holes, etc. Workers are busiest in the evening (midnight), traveling from their nest to a food source following trails but no particular trail leading straight to the nest. They do establish chemical (pheromone) trails.

Sound Detection

An active colony may produce a unusual, dry rustling sound ( now and again 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 assistance when conditions are quiet and outside noises are at a minimum. Even a cat may hear noises in a home a consequence of ant mandibles (jaws) not from chewing timber or eating, but as their form of communication, especially if 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 vented attics or crawl spaces and blocked gutters. Replace rotted or water-damaged wood and eliminate timber 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 cracks and crevices in the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wiring occur from outside. Be certain to store firewood off the land faraway from the house and bring in exactly 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 eliminated to help control carpenter ants, prevent future attacks and prevent " timber decay" fungus infection.

This publication comprises pesticide testimonials that are dependent on change any time. These recommendations are offered just as a guide. It is invariably the pesticide applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. Because of never stand still labels and product registration, a few of the suggestions given in this writing may no longer be legal by the time you read them. If any info in these testimonials 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 use of these recommendations.

Grey Squirrels are about 18 ins 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 months. 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 those in the United States have grey as the more dominate color. Albino squirrels have been discovered from time to time, but are very rare. Grey squirrels use their tail for balance when climbing trees, as a blanket during wintertime months, and also 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 sun.

The Grey Squirrel and Red Squirrel are considered tree squirrels; ground squirrels include Arctic Ground Squirrel, Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel and various others in the ground 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 night-time hours. Located in forests and urban areas, the grey squirrel slides sideways around tree trunks to shut out of sight of its predators and likewise remains perfectly still at times to make itself more hard 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 summer months 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 get 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 made in the cavities of trees occasionally in used woodpecker holes. If there are no cavities available, the grey squirrel will build its nest between tree branches. The outside the nest is made of twigs and leaves, while the inside is made of moss, grasses and bark. During the wintertime months, the man and female grey squirrel share a winter children's play room, yet in the summer they each find their own separate children's play room. The males play room is typically 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 found in attics. They also dig up bulbs in gardens, drive birds faraway from feeders and cause injury to crops. They destruct forests by stripping the bark from tree trunks and branches leaving the trees vulnerable 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 in the past been known to carry the Parapox Virus which red squirrels are not immune to. As a result of these reasons, the red squirrel is now listed on the endangered species list in Europe.