Pest ID & Prevention Resources
Bed Bugs Fact Sheet
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' (VDACS) Office of Pesticide Services (OPS), thru a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, has undertaken an outreach and education project to provide information regarding Bed Bugs. As part of the project, a series of Fact Sheets were developed and workshops were conducted throughout the State. Fact Sheets, available in both English and Spanish, along with the workshop presentations provide the most current information regarding Bed Bugs including inspection and identification, current treatment methods and suggested best management practices and are available below.
Fact Sheets
Presentations
Bed Bugs - How to Protect Yourself and Your Home (Book)
How to Protect Yourself Booklet - to print booklet, print on both sides of the page (flip on long edge)
Background
This insect has a famous history as a bloodsucker and is named due to its tendency to feed on a bed's occupants at night. The bed bug primarily attacks humans but can feed on any warm blooded animal such as birds, mice, and pets. The bed bug is found worldwide and probably came to the US from Europe in the 17th century.
Identification
Adults are just under a 1/4" long and are relatively flat, nearly as wide as long, and oval in shape compared to most other insects. The color is brown to reddish brown. The body may have short golden hairs and will exude a "sickening sweet" smell from glands on its body. There are many types of bed bugs and related insects.
Reproduction and Biting
Female bedbugs can lay over 500 eggs over a lifetime and each bed bug will molt or shed its shell five times as it grows and a blood meal is required for each molt. If blood meals become scarce, bed bugs can slow their life process until a blood meal source is found. The saliva of the bed bug may cause a swelling on most people when they are bitten but they do not leave a wound. Swelling may include redness in some sensitive people.
Habits
The bed bug is able to crawl into very small crevices in and around the human environment. These include between mattresses, seams in bed linens, upholstery, behind wood trim, inside electrical boxes, in floors, behind wallpaper, and in any other area near a blood meal that will hide a very thin insect. Note, however, that bed bugs will move distances at night for a blood meal which is why infestations occur in beds commonly, so merely washing bed linens or other infested areas might not eliminate the source. Bed bugs are also excellent at relocating by hitching rides in luggage, boxes, shoes, and any other mobile material.
An infestation of bed bugs is NOT evidence of unclean or unsanitary living areas. World class hotels have reported bed bug infestation in recent years perhaps due to the increased domestic and international mobility of society in the past few decades.
Commonly, the first sign of bed bug infestation is the appearance of small brownish or reddish dots on bed linens. These are fecal spots or droppings on the surface of linens from these bugs. Occupants may also notice swelling where they have been bitten.
Control
The first step of control is to have a professional thoroughly inspect the area. This inspection is required to determine the places where the bed bugs are living. Once the inspection is complete, the pest control professional will determine the proper type of control technique; treat the area and most likely return for a follow up inspection.
Keys to Finding a qualified Pest Professional
Virginia Pest Management Association Offers Advice for Finding Reputable Services
Discovering a pest problem or infestation that is threatening a homeowner's property, family's health and even just their peace of mind can be a major annoyance. The last thing one needs in this situation is the added stress of finding a reputable pest control company to service the problem. However, for preventative and reactive measures alike, finding a qualified pest control professional is easy to do if the homeowner does a little homework.
"Essentially, a person is entrusting a service provider with the well-being of both their home and their family," said Cindy Mannes, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). "A credible pest professional will protect a homeowner's property and their family's health from the damage and diseases associated with pests through responsible and effective service."
The NPMA offers homeowners these tips for selecting a pest professional:
- Ask friends and neighbors to recommend pest control companies they have used successfully and how satisfied they were with the service.
- Be wary of the operator who comes to your home uninvited and offers to give your house a free inspection for pests. He or she may try to scare you into authorizing immediate and costly treatments.
- If a sizable amount of money is involved, get bids from several pest control companies.
- Don't rush a decision. Since you are paying for professional knowledge, look for someone whose judgment you can trust.
- Before signing a contract, be sure to fully understand the nature of the pest, the extent of the infestation, and the work necessary to solve the problem.
- Find out if the pest professional has liability insurance to cover damage to your house or furnishings during treatment.
- If a guarantee is given, know what it covers, how long it lasts, what you must do to keep it in force, and what kind of continuing control, prevention and management are necessary.
- Buy value, not price. Beware of bargains that sound too good to be true.
- A federal law requires commercial applicators of "restricted use" pest control products to be certified. The certification program is left up to the state. Homeowners can call the certifying state agencies for information.
- Use NPMA's pest professional locator on pestworld.org. Simply enter your zip code and immediately receive information on licensed pest professionals in your area.
Mosquito-Borne Illnesses and Public Health Safety
Community Responsibility
The greatest defense against mosquito-borne illness is you. The homeowner. The parent. The average consumer.
Since one of the most widely recognized mosquito-borne illnesses-West Nile Virus-was first detected in the U.S., the potentially fatal disease has spread across the country from Pennsylvania to Washington state. Forty-one states and Washington D.C. have confirmed cases of West Nile.
Not all communities provide municipal mosquito management. But only a concerted community-wide effort can properly manage these pests and reduce the risks associated with them. Every town. Every neighbor.
Diseases Transmitted by Mosquitoes Mosquitoes transmit several human diseases-all of which can be fatal-including:
- West Nile Virus. First detected in the U.S. in 1999, it can lead to serious complications of the liver or nervous system, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or paralysis.
- Malaria. Malaria was thought to have been eradicated in the U.S. but was detected in mosquitoes in Fairfax County, VA, in 2002.
- Dengue fever. A small but important risk for dengue fever exists in the United States. Travelers may introduce 100 to 200 cases into the U.S. each year.
How You Can Help Prevent the Spread of Mosquito-Borne Illnesses
- Contact a local Pest Management Professional (PMP). PMPs can help homeowners reduce their exposure to mosquito bites by inspecting properties for mosquito breeding sites, treating to control mosquitoes or suggesting corrective actions, and providing basic information, current news releases and references to other information sources.
- Eliminate or reduce mosquito breeding sites by replacing all standing water at least once a week. This includes bird baths, ponds and pools.
- Remove unneeded vegetation or trash from around any standing water sources that cannot be changed, dumped or removed.
- Introduce mosquito-eating fish such as Gambusia, Green Sunfish, Bluegills and Minnows to standing water.
- Screen windows, doors, and other openings with mesh
- Use mesh that is 18x18 strands per square inch, or finer.
- Seal around all screen edges, and keep doors and windows shut to prevent entry of most mosquito species.
- Avoid going outdoors when and where mosquitoes are most active: during dusk or dawn.
- Use insect repellent on exposed skin whenever or wherever mosquitoes are likely to bite.
- The most effective repellents currently available contain the active ingredient N,N-diethylbenza-mide (DEET), in concentrations up to about 35% (greater concentrations don't offer better protection).
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long-legged pants, preferably treated with a repellent as well.
Pests No Summer Picnic; Send Them Packing
"Filth flies" are aptly named. They breed in filth such as moist or decaying organic matter or excrement, and they feed by "spitting out" saliva and former stomach contents onto their intended next meal. After a few seconds, they suck up the fluid they spit out, along with anything it might have dissolved.
Not a pretty sight. But what's worse is that they spread serious diseases.
Filth flies love to invade our homes during the warm summer months, along with other unwanted pests such as silverfish, millipedes and centipedes, honey bees, skunks and bats- although hopefully not all at once.
No, you don't want them around to ruin an otherwise pleasant summer.
"These pests can make your fun in the sun a terrible memory," says Mark Lacey, director of technical and field services for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), a trade group representing professional pest control companies in the U.S. and around the world. "They don't really cause significant damage to your house or business, but will cause damage to your daily activities," he adds. "For instance, it's very easy for filth flies to transmit diseases to humans."
Filth flies - there are about 200 species of them - have been proven to spread more than 65 kinds of human diseases, including leprosy, typhoid, E. coli, cholera, polio, TB, "Staph," and several kinds of food poisoning.
Problems with humans arise when a fly feeds on some filth, such as dung or garbage, then a few seconds later lands on our plate or sandwich intent on eating the same morsel we plan to eat. Both the habit of regurgitating some of their stomach contents when they feed, and their hairy bodies, make it easy for filth flies to transmit pathogens to humans.
Lacey says summertime "panic calls" to pest control operators are not unusual due to honeybees or filth flies in a porch area just hours before guests are to arrive. Or the discovery of bats in the attic or a skunk or two under decks and in crawl spaces.
Sanitation and mechanical controls have the greatest long-term effect on reducing filth fly populations.
"As always," Lacey advises, "homeowners and building managers should leave the control of pests to the professional pest control company. Call them at the first sign of a problem to avoid more difficult and costly control later."
In an integrated pest management approach, the five basic steps taken for unwanted pests are: inspection, identification, the establishment of threshold levels, the employment of two or more control measures, and the evaluation of effectiveness. Biologists have identified 925 species of the scary-looking bat, one quarter of all known mammal species. The oldest bat fossils are 50 million years old, and paleontologists assume bats had been flying around for a few million years before that.
The bat most Americans probably know best in the summer is the little brown bat, which roosts in attics and barns and prowls for insects at twilight. Although their eyesight is better than most people think, bats routinely depend on their sonar-like location system to hunt flying insects.
Medical concerns about bats are mainly the very small, but real, risk of rabies, which is found in less than 1% of the bat population.
The main situation in which humans are at any risk are when the bat is either sick or injured and falls down within a human occupied area or at least to within a human's reach.Â
Control of bats, within the continental U.S. and similar temperate regions, is mainly a combination of removal followed by exclusion. As with other unwanted summertime pests, if you have a bat problem, contact your local licensed and professionally trained pest control professional.Â
Far less complex than bats, silverfish and their close relatives, firebrats, are small, wingless tear-drop-shaped insects generally covered with, respectively, grayish or brownish scales.
They hide in cracks during the daytime and become active after dark. They survive best in high relative humidity and at the higher temperatures of summer. Most feed on starches, sugars, and proteins they can get from book bindings, glazed paper, or similar sources, including dead insects.
In the home, they may severely damage older books, papers, or other sweet or starchy materials in warm, moist, dark areas. They are often introduced into a home within cardboard or other paper products.
Another summer pest, millipedes, are sometimes called "thousand leggers" because they have 30 to 90 pairs of legs. They're not really insects, but they can be pests. Their close cousins, centipedes, have less legs.
Most common centipedes rarely grow beyond a few inches but can grow up to six inches, which will scare young children and adults alike. Millipedes can grow up to about four inches long.
You don't want them around either.
While honey bees are among the most beneficial insects, they can be pests when they end up in our living space after they build hives in walls or in nearby bushes.
Problem is, honey bees can sting, and some people react violently. Worse, the much-publicized Africanized honey bees, or "killer bees," have now reached warm areas of the country and are moving further north each year.
By midsummer, honey bees reach very high populations. Interiors should not be fogged if honey bees are found because robber bees may reoccupy the hive, thus perpetuating the bee problem. Instead, a pest control company should be called to alleviate the problem with maximum care and minimal risk to the occupants.
An especially stinky pest in summer is the skunk. In the suburbs, skunks frequently set up housekeeping under decks and in crawl spaces where they raise their litter of four to six young, which are born in the spring. In the human environment, skunks will feed on garbage or pet food left outside.
As with all mammals, skunks can carry rabies. As always, homeowners should leave the control of skunks to the professional pest control company, advises Lacey of the NPMA.
The Big Bite Of Termites: $5 Billion A Year In Damages
Everyone knows that termites cause horrific damage to a building, but exactly to what extent is not so widely understood. It's likely much worse than ever imagined - latest industry estimates place the annual cost of damage and treatment at $5 billion worldwide.
"No pest is more threatening to a structure than termites," says Mark Lacey, director of technical and field services for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), a trade association representing professional pest management companies in the U.S. and around the world.
Subterranean termites are by far the most destructive species. They can collapse a building entirely, meaning possible financial ruin for a homeowner. The hard, saw-toothed jaws of termites work like shears and are able to bite off extremely small fragments of wood, one piece at a time.
When termites infest buildings, they damage lumber, wood panels, flooring, sheetrock, wallpaper, plastics, paper products, and fabric made of plant fibers. The most serious damage is the loss of structural strength. Other costly losses include attacks on flooring, carpeting, art work, books, clothing, furniture, and valuable papers.
To deal with termite infestation, virtually all experts advise calling a pest management professional to protect the most important investment most people will make in their lifetime: their home.
"Trained professionals can help identify the termites, determine the extent of infestation, and recommend a prompt, effective control program using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy," Lacey says.
Currently, there are three types of treatments available for use by the professional: soil treatments, wood treatments and baits.
Soil treatments are liquid termiticides diluted with water to ensure adequate coverage in the soil. Injection of this system in the soil creates a treated area that repels or reduces the population of termites and envelops the structure with a long-term protection. This is the most commonly used system and may be used in combination with baits and/or wood treatment.
Wood treatments involve treating infested wood or potentially infested wood with liquids such as a traditional treatment or borate materials. This treatment type protects the wood from infestation and reduces or eliminates the infestation in the wood at the time of the treatment.
Baits are relatively new and involve installing bait stations in the ground. Termites then eat the bait and carry the active ingredient throughout the colony or area, thus reducing foraging, which in turn reduces the colony population. Baits are popular since there is no interior drilling, and they are less bother for the homeowner.
Scientists say that, based on normal feeding activity, it takes three to eight years to cause appreciable damage. Some experts predict that, under ideal conditions, a termite colony of 60,000 workers may consume a one foot of 2-inch by 4-inch pine in 118 to 157 days.
The total number of individuals in a colony of subterranean termites may be more than a million. Imagine a million insects invading your home? In actuality, termites do not "attack;" they forage, attracted to moist areas, and find food sources. Termites need to maintain an atmosphere of nearly 100% humidity.
Recognizing termites is tricky, since they are often difficult to distinguish from flying ants. Termites swarm in the spring and fall when a group of adult males and females leave their nest to establish a new colony
Termites have relatively straight, beadlike antennae, while ants have elbowed antennae. Termites have two pair of wings (front and back) that are of almost equal length. Ants also have two pair of wings but the fore wings are much larger than the hind wings. The abdomen of the termite is broadly joined to the thorax while the abdomen and thorax of the ant are joined by a narrow waist.
Termite damage can be located by probing wood with a screwdriver, ice pick, or knife. Start inspection in the basement and use a bright flashlight. Look for telltale "mud tubes" or shelter tubes about the diameter of a pencil that are solid evidence of termite activity. Worker termites are blind and sensitive to heat, cold, and dry air, which is why they build mud tubes.
Wood damaged by termites always has remains of mud tubes attached to wood tunnels in an irregular pattern. The tunnels may contain broken mud particles with fecal materials. The presence of flying winged males, females or their shed wings inside the building indicates and infestation.
Worker termites find new food sources such as vegetation or wood containing cellulose. Upon finding a food source, they put down a chemical signal or pheromone to lead the other workers to the feeding site.
Each colony develops its own characteristic odor. An intruder is instantly recognized and an alarm pheromone is secreted that triggers soldier termites to attack. They are less numerous in the colony than workers and their only function is to defend the colony against invaders. The top caste in the termite colony is the king and queen; the queen may live up to 25 years and lay more than 60,000 eggs in her lifetime. The eggs are yellowish white and hatch after an incubation of 50 to 60 days.
Experts from the NPMA offer several tips to avoid termite infestation:
- Since termites are attracted to moisture, avoid moisture accumulation near your home's foundation. Divert water away with properly functioning downspouts, gutters and splash blocks.
- Reduce humidity in crawl spaces with proper ventilation. Prevent shrubs, vines and other vegetation from growing over and covering vents.
- Before and during construction, never bury wood scraps or waste lumber in the backfill, especially near the building. Be sure to remove old form boards, grade stakes, etc., left in place after the building was constructed. Remove old tree stumps and roots around and beneath the building.
- Most importantly, eliminate any wood contact with the soil. An 18-inch gap between the soil and wood portions of the building is ideal.
Everyone knows that termites cause horrific damage to a building, but exactly to what extent is not so widely understood. It's likely much worse than ever imagined - latest industry estimates place the annual cost of damage and treatment at $5 billion worldwide.
"No pest is more threatening to a structure than termites," says Mark Lacey, director of technical and field services for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), a trade association representing professional pest management companies in the U.S. and around the world.
Subterranean termites are by far the most destructive species. They can collapse a building entirely, meaning possible financial ruin for a homeowner. The hard, saw-toothed jaws of termites work like shears and are able to bite off extremely small fragments of wood, one piece at a time.
When termites infest buildings, they damage lumber, wood panels, flooring, sheetrock, wallpaper, plastics, paper products, and fabric made of plant fibers. The most serious damage is the loss of structural strength. Other costly losses include attacks on flooring, carpeting, art work, books, clothing, furniture, and valuable papers.
To deal with termite infestation, virtually all experts advise calling a pest management professional to protect the most important investment most people will make in their lifetime: their home.
"Trained professionals can help identify the termites, determine the extent of infestation, and recommend a prompt, effective control program using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy," Lacey says.
Currently, there are three types of treatments available for use by the professional: soil treatments, wood treatments and baits.
Soil treatments are liquid termiticides diluted with water to ensure adequate coverage in the soil. Injection of this system in the soil creates a treated area that repels or reduces the population of termites and envelops the structure with a long-term protection. This is the most commonly used system and may be used in combination with baits and/or wood treatment.
Wood treatments involve treating infested wood or potentially infested wood with liquids such as a traditional treatment or borate materials. This treatment type protects the wood from infestation and reduces or eliminates the infestation in the wood at the time of the treatment.
Baits are relatively new and involve installing bait stations in the ground. Termites then eat the bait and carry the active ingredient throughout the colony or area, thus reducing foraging, which in turn reduces the colony population. Baits are popular since there is no interior drilling, and they are less bother for the homeowner.
Scientists say that, based on normal feeding activity, it takes three to eight years to cause appreciable damage. Some experts predict that, under ideal conditions, a termite colony of 60,000 workers may consume a one foot of 2-inch by 4-inch pine in 118 to 157 days.
The total number of individuals in a colony of subterranean termites may be more than a million. Imagine a million insects invading your home? In actuality, termites do not "attack;" they forage, attracted to moist areas, and find food sources. Termites need to maintain an atmosphere of nearly 100% humidity.
Recognizing termites is tricky, since they are often difficult to distinguish from flying ants. Termites swarm in the spring and fall when a group of adult males and females leave their nest to establish a new colony
Termites have relatively straight, beadlike antennae, while ants have elbowed antennae. Termites have two pair of wings (front and back) that are of almost equal length. Ants also have two pair of wings but the fore wings are much larger than the hind wings. The abdomen of the termite is broadly joined to the thorax while the abdomen and thorax of the ant are joined by a narrow waist.
Termite damage can be located by probing wood with a screwdriver, ice pick, or knife. Start inspection in the basement and use a bright flashlight. Look for telltale "mud tubes" or shelter tubes about the diameter of a pencil that are solid evidence of termite activity. Worker termites are blind and sensitive to heat, cold, and dry air, which is why they build mud tubes.
Wood damaged by termites always has remains of mud tubes attached to wood tunnels in an irregular pattern. The tunnels may contain broken mud particles with fecal materials. The presence of flying winged males, females or their shed wings inside the building indicates and infestation.
Worker termites find new food sources such as vegetation or wood containing cellulose. Upon finding a food source, they put down a chemical signal or pheromone to lead the other workers to the feeding site.
Each colony develops its own characteristic odor. An intruder is instantly recognized and an alarm pheromone is secreted that triggers soldier termites to attack. They are less numerous in the colony than workers and their only function is to defend the colony against invaders. The top caste in the termite colony is the king and queen; the queen may live up to 25 years and lay more than 60,000 eggs in her lifetime. The eggs are yellowish white and hatch after an incubation of 50 to 60 days.
Experts from the NPMA offer several tips to avoid termite infestation:
- Since termites are attracted to moisture, avoid moisture accumulation near your home's foundation. Divert water away with properly functioning downspouts, gutters and splash blocks.
- Reduce humidity in crawl spaces with proper ventilation. Prevent shrubs, vines and other vegetation from growing over and covering vents.
- Before and during construction, never bury wood scraps or waste lumber in the backfill, especially near the building. Be sure to remove old form boards, grade stakes, etc., left in place after the building was constructed. Remove old tree stumps and roots around and beneath the building.
- Most importantly, eliminate any wood contact with the soil. An 18-inch gap between the soil and wood portions of the building is ideal.
Preventing Pests this Holiday Season
The Virginia Pest Management Association VPMA) shares tips to prevent encounters with pests during holiday baking and decorating.
When the exciting and busy holiday season arrives, it’s time for baking, gift shopping, decorating and travel! In the hustle and bustle of this season, pest prevention can easily be overlooked, giving pests an open invitation to your holiday celebrations. To protect your holiday plans from the threat of pests, VPMA shares these key prevention tips.
Baking and cooking during the holiday season can attract pantry pests like Indian meal moths and merchant grain beetles. Additionally, real greenery, such as wreaths, garland and trees can harbor hidden spiders and mites, while boxes of decorations can easily become infested during the holiday off-season. To avoid pest encounters this holiday, we recommend taking a few extra steps to inspect items and keep pests outside.
VPMA recommends the following tips to keep your holidays pest-free:
- Store food properly in containers with an airtight seal.
- Before purchasing food at the grocery store, inspect boxes and bags for any damage.
- Keep kitchen surfaces and floors clean and regularly dispose of garbage in a sealed receptacle.
- Before decorating, thoroughly inspect all live greenery for any pests or eggs.
- Inspect and shake out all live greenery, including trees, before bringing decorations indoors.
- When disposing of your greenery, place it far away from the home to avoid attracting pests.
- Inspect stored items for signs of gnaw marks or droppings as these are signs of a potential rodent infestation.
If you suspect an infestation, do not attempt to treat the issue yourself. It is always recommended that you contact a licensed pest control professional to safely remove pests from your home.
Protect Your Largest Investment: Check Home For Termites
Termites have been around since the dinosaurs, when all they did was devour trees in the forest. But nowadays, they eat away at homes to the annual cost of $5 billion in treatments and damages just in the U.S.
And it's only going to get worse.
What most homeowners don't realize is that termites are a 24/7 pest, meaning that they toil 24 hours a day, seven days a week to gorge themselves, putting at risk the biggest investment most people make in their lifetime, their home.
It's a growing threat, due to the onslaught in southern regions of the U.S. over the past few years of the ferocious, more aggressive Formosan termite, dubbed "Super Bug" and "Termite from Hell." (Subterranean termites are the most common termite and also the number one wood-destroying pest in the U.S.).
Researchers predict almost 100% of untreated homes in some southeast regions of the country will eventually be infested with termites, according to a September 1999 workshop on termites sponsored by the National Park Service in Louisiana-a state especially hard hit by the Formosan termite.
Originally from China, Formosan termites are the most voracious, aggressive and devious of over 2,000 termite species known to science. They are now eagerly chewing their way through real estate from Virginia to Hawaii, including California.
Infestation by Formosan termites must be addressed "like a contagious disease," says scientist Dennis Ring of the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Cooperative Extension Services.
Homeowners insurance will help recover losses from fires, storms, and earthquakes, but it is impossible to carry insurance against termite infestation. There's only one solution with two options: control them, either by yourself or by hiring a trained and qualified pest management professional.
"Detecting and controlling termites is a job for the professional," advises Mark Lacey, director of Technical and Field Services for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), a trade association representing 80% of the professional pest management industry in the U.S., plus international affiliations.
Through focus groups designed to learn consumers' perceptions of the pest management industry, the NPMA discovered that protecting customers' homes-their primary investments-is a concept that is believable, relevant, and motivating.
Focus groups found that the dangers of a termite or carpenter ant infestations are well known and feared. Both pests could literally destroy a home if the problem is undetected or ignored. This potential destruction is reinforced every time consumers purchase a home and termite and pest inspections are required.
In this context, the cost of hiring a pest management professional makes sense, participants in the focus groups agreed. The expense pales with the repercussions of not hiring a professional.
One participant said: "Instead of having to spend a lot of money on a costly repair, I'd rather spend a little here. The big money goes to the kids' educations and family vacations."
In the NPMA's new consumer web site designed to answer homeowner questions about pest control issues, a frequent topic is do-it-yourself. For example, one homeowner asked if a particular bait system is available for purchase.
The NPMA replied, "Yes, it is available. And no, there's no reason you couldn't do it yourself. But the big question is, will you do it yourself and will it work if you do it yourself. Because if you slack off, go on vacation, and forget to manage your bait stations, they won't work and you'll be back to square one, with termites still eating your house down around you."
Other scientists and researchers agree with NPMA's Lacey that a thorough inspection by a termite-control specialist is the first and most important step in protecting property. "Experienced" eyes can locate the specific areas in a structure where termite attack is likely to occur.
At Ohio State University Extension, a recent entomology report states that, "In most cases, once a termite infestation has been found, control measures are best accomplished by a professional pest management firm rather than a do-it-yourself treatment."
Similar advice comes from the University of Nebraska, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In a recent report on termites, it said: "In most cases, it is beyond the ability of an untrained person to attempt the termite treatment."
The report added that, "Generally, termite treatments should be performed by pest management professionals. Termite treatments require special tools such as hammer drills, sub-slab injectors, rodding devices, engines equipped with pumps, protective equipment, etc.
Both universities, the NPMA and other experts all offer similar advice to homeowners. First, don't panic if spotting evidence of termite damage. Termites work slowly, although consistently throughout the year. (But be forewarned that the Formosan termite can chew its way through beams and plywood nine times faster than other termites. In Hawaii and elsewhere, they've been known to cause major structural damage to new homes in as little as three months).
Don't make any quick decisions. Get two or more cost estimates in writing and compare them. Seek value and avoid making decisions based only on price. Ask about liability insurance. Verify that the firm you select is a member of your state Pest Control Association and the NPMA.
Finally, ask friends and neighbors to recommend a firm they have been satisfied with. As a final precaution, check with the local Better Business Bureau for a company performance record.
Termites justifiably have a bad reputation in the human world, but in the overall scheme of life, that isn't so. Since they feed on wood, termites serve an important function in nature by converting dead trees into organic matter, or humus, which is then available to nourish living trees.
Unfortunately, the wood in our homes is just as palatable to termites as the dead trees in the forest. Subterranean termite colonies live in the soil, not the building, unless the building is heavily infested. Termites have been around since the dinosaurs, when all they did was devour trees in the forest. But nowadays, they eat away at homes to the annual cost of $5 billion in treatments and damages just in the U.S.
And it's only going to get worse.
What most homeowners don't realize is that termites are a 24/7 pest, meaning that they toil 24 hours a day, seven days a week to gorge themselves, putting at risk the biggest investment most people make in their lifetime, their home.
It's a growing threat, due to the onslaught in southern regions of the U.S. over the past few years of the ferocious, more aggressive Formosan termite, dubbed "Super Bug" and "Termite from Hell." (Subterranean termites are the most common termite and also the number one wood-destroying pest in the U.S.).
Researchers predict almost 100% of untreated homes in some southeast regions of the country will eventually be infested with termites, according to a September 1999 workshop on termites sponsored by the National Park Service in Louisiana-a state especially hard hit by the Formosan termite.
Originally from China, Formosan termites are the most voracious, aggressive and devious of over 2,000 termite species known to science. They are now eagerly chewing their way through real estate from Virginia to Hawaii, including California.
Infestation by Formosan termites must be addressed "like a contagious disease," says scientist Dennis Ring of the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Cooperative Extension Services.
Homeowners insurance will help recover losses from fires, storms, and earthquakes, but it is impossible to carry insurance against termite infestation. There's only one solution with two options: control them, either by yourself or by hiring a trained and qualified pest management professional.
"Detecting and controlling termites is a job for the professional," advises Mark Lacey, director of Technical and Field Services for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), a trade association representing 80% of the professional pest management industry in the U.S., plus international affiliations.
Through focus groups designed to learn consumers' perceptions of the pest management industry, the NPMA discovered that protecting customers' homes-their primary investments-is a concept that is believable, relevant, and motivating.
Focus groups found that the dangers of a termite or carpenter ant infestations are well known and feared. Both pests could literally destroy a home if the problem is undetected or ignored. This potential destruction is reinforced every time consumers purchase a home and termite and pest inspections are required.
In this context, the cost of hiring a pest management professional makes sense, participants in the focus groups agreed. The expense pales with the repercussions of not hiring a professional.
One participant said: "Instead of having to spend a lot of money on a costly repair, I'd rather spend a little here. The big money goes to the kids' educations and family vacations."
In the NPMA's new consumer web site designed to answer homeowner questions about pest control issues, a frequent topic is do-it-yourself. For example, one homeowner asked if a particular bait system is available for purchase.
The NPMA replied, "Yes, it is available. And no, there's no reason you couldn't do it yourself. But the big question is, will you do it yourself and will it work if you do it yourself. Because if you slack off, go on vacation, and forget to manage your bait stations, they won't work and you'll be back to square one, with termites still eating your house down around you."
Other scientists and researchers agree with NPMA's Lacey that a thorough inspection by a termite-control specialist is the first and most important step in protecting property. "Experienced" eyes can locate the specific areas in a structure where termite attack is likely to occur.
At Ohio State University Extension, a recent entomology report states that, "In most cases, once a termite infestation has been found, control measures are best accomplished by a professional pest management firm rather than a do-it-yourself treatment."
Similar advice comes from the University of Nebraska, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In a recent report on termites, it said: "In most cases, it is beyond the ability of an untrained person to attempt the termite treatment."
The report added that, "Generally, termite treatments should be performed by pest management professionals. Termite treatments require special tools such as hammer drills, sub-slab injectors, rodding devices, engines equipped with pumps, protective equipment, etc.
Both universities, the NPMA and other experts all offer similar advice to homeowners. First, don't panic if spotting evidence of termite damage. Termites work slowly, although consistently throughout the year. (But be forewarned that the Formosan termite can chew its way through beams and plywood nine times faster than other termites. In Hawaii and elsewhere, they've been known to cause major structural damage to new homes in as little as three months).
Don't make any quick decisions. Get two or more cost estimates in writing and compare them. Seek value and avoid making decisions based only on price. Ask about liability insurance. Verify that the firm you select is a member of your state Pest Control Association and the NPMA.
Finally, ask friends and neighbors to recommend a firm they have been satisfied with. As a final precaution, check with the local Better Business Bureau for a company performance record.
Termites justifiably have a bad reputation in the human world, but in the overall scheme of life, that isn't so. Since they feed on wood, termites serve an important function in nature by converting dead trees into organic matter, or humus, which is then available to nourish living trees.
Unfortunately, the wood in our homes is just as palatable to termites as the dead trees in the forest. Subterranean termite colonies live in the soil, not the building, unless the building is heavily infested.
Summer's Worst Pests
You can always tell when it's summer at my house. Not because of the homegrown flower arrangements in vases, or the gourmet dinners whipped up on the grill. Summer arrives at my home with no such magazine-cover prettiness. You can tell it's summer at my house when you see the columns of tiny ants marching across my kitchen counters.
When temperatures rise, pests perk up. "Insects are temperature-dependent. When weather gets cold, their metabolism slows and when the weather warms, their metabolism increases in activity so we see more activity in the warm months," says Greg Bauman, Technical Director of the Professional Pest Management Association.
When your place becomes a summer home for insect pests, the results can range from a mild nuisance to the complete destruction of your home. Watch out for these bad bugs of summer.
Termites
Termites can wreak havoc on your home-these insects eat wood. "They destroy more homes than fires or floods each year, with annual damage in the $2.5 billion range," says Bauman. And here's the rub: They're hard to find, even when they're digesting your subflooring. How to identify them: The bugs themselves generally have an off-white body, and a thicker "waist" than an ant. Their antennae are straight, not bent, and flying termites have four wings that are all the same length. Termites swarm once or twice a year during warm weather to mate, and you may see them then. But you generally do not see the ones that are tunneling through your home.
So how do you find these home wreckers? Walk your home's perimeter once a month, and look for small mud tunnels on the foundation. Termites build these for covert, humid access to your wood. Also look for broken-off wings and sandy, wood-colored termite droppings.
Preventative measures include making sure the wood part of your house has no contact with the ground. This means keep walls free of dirt piles, don't let trellises or plants bridge from the ground to the siding, and don't stack firewood against the house. Even thick wood mulch can provide cover for termites, so make sure your bark chips aren't piled up around your wooden porch rails. Also keep moisture away from the foundation and repair leaks around structural wood. You see rotted wood where the downspout leaked onto the siding; a termite sees a free buffet.
Ants
That whole ant/picnic thing isn't just a marketing creation: Ants, like other bugs, get active when the temperature rises. And the more than 20 different types of ants that may invade your home in the summer may do anything from march through your food with their dirty little feet to destroy the wood.
Bauman says ants are the most difficult pests to control. As much as I am obsessed with the little guys colonizing my countertops, carpenter ants are the ones you should be on the lookout for. According to Bauman, carpenter ants are generally larger than other ants and have one node between the abdomen and the thorax (the point between the rear and middle segments of the body-get out your magnifying glass). Carpenter ants also have circles of hair on the tips of their rears. And Bauman cautions, "Carpenter ants are not all black...some are reddish, brownish, or even a combination."
Carpenter ants occasionally will swarm inside a house. If this happens, it's a sure bet that there is a nest within the structure. A more likely scenario is that a homeowner will encounter the 1/4- to 1/2-inch-long ants crawling about inside the home at night. These ants don't eat wood; they just hollow it out to create galleries, or nests. Look for shredded bits of coarse sawdust under slits in wood, or if you think something is infested, tap on it with a screwdriver. It may sound hollow, or you might even hear the sound of disturbed ants rustling inside. Carpenter ants also like moist wood for access, so repair those leaks. As with termites, keep wood, earth and debris away from siding. Also, make sure tree branches have no contact with your house: Carpenter ants are capable of invading from on high.
Smaller ants, sometimes called sugar ants, don't tunnel through your wood. However, it is embarrassing to be wiping them off the table when you have dinner guests. These ants like to eat sweets and grease (don't we all) and the trick to keeping them at bay is to keep your kitchen spotless. Keep food sealed in containers, wipe counters frequently, and empty the garbage religiously. "Ants love to infest cat and dog food dishes, even water dishes," says Bauman. Clean like mad, and cut off the ants' food supply.
Roaches
There's good news and bad news about roaches. The good news is they used to be the most common and difficult-to-control pest, according to Cindy Mannes, Director of Public Affairs for the National Pest Management Association. Thanks to better sanitation practices by homeowners, they've moved to the number-three spot. The bad news: Roaches are active at night, so if you see roaches in your kitchen during the daylight hours, you may have a really bad infestation.
Roaches don't do structural damage to homes, but they do spread germs. "Cockroach allergens have also been linked to triggering children's asthma," says Mannes.
Cockroach prevention includes sealing all holes and cracks that provide access to your home from the outside. Make sure to do this in the basement as well as the crawlspace. Keeping food sources scarce will help, though it's a tough task because this bug dines on everything from garbage to wallpaper paste.
Bees/hornets/wasps
These stinging insects range from docile pollinators to nasty beasts that can put you in the hospital if the circumstances are right. Believe it or not, there are bees that can tunnel into your home as well.
Carpenter bees look like big bumblebees, but their abdomens are bare and black. They nest in spring and prefer bare, unfinished wood. The male, who doesn't have a stinger, will hover near the spot where the female is drilling her nest. If there's a big black bee guarding an area of your home, get closer and look for a finger-diameter hole with sawdust beneath it. Don't poke your finger in there, though-females do sting.
Since these bees prefer unfinished wood, the best prevention is a coat of paint. Also, be careful to not let these critters into garages or sheds where they could have access to bare-wood rafter beams, shelves and so forth.
Of course, these bugs of summer are just a drop in the pest bucket. Migrating swallows can invade via a chimney. Ladybugs can completely cover a sunny south wall when the weather warms. But every critter on this list, with the exception of the cockroach, can do significant structural damage to your home. So pay attention to prevention, look for the signs, and don't be afraid to call a professional if it looks like you've got uninvited summer guests.
