•Ants   •Bed Bugs   •Beetles   •Box Elder Bugs   •Camel Crickets   •Centipedes   •Cockroaches   •Earwigs   •Fleas   •Millipedes   •Mosquitoes   •Moths   •Rats/Mice   •Silverfish   •Spiders   •Springtails   •Termites   •Ticks   •Wasps/Bees  

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*Other Pests*

Ants

There are several kinds of ants that may occur in and around the home ranging in size from about 1/32 to 3/4 inch long and colored yellowish, light brown, reddish-brown, brownish-black or jet black. Ants, as all insects, have three body parts, head, thorax, and abdomen. Most are wingless, but the homeowner sometimes may confuse swarming, winged ants with swarming, winged termites, causing alarm. Ants can be easily distinguished from termites by several characteristics:

1. Ant bodies appear constricted or pinched in at the waist (shaped like a figure 8), while termites do not have the waist constriction.
2. Ants have elbowed antennae, while termites have straight, bead-like antennae.
3. The forewings of ants are much larger than the hind wings. Termites' wings are equal in size and shape.
4. Ant wings are transparent or brownish, while termite wings are milky-white or grayish and longer than the body.
5. Ant wings are firmly attached, while termite wings are easily removed or shed (fall off).

There are literally hundreds of insecticide formulations labeled for ant control. Some are labeled for general use (homeowners) while others are restricted use (licensed pesticide applicators only).

In many cases, once an ant infestation has been found, control measures are best accomplished by a licensed, professional pest control firm. Homeowners often do not have the experience, availability of certain insecticides and equipment needed to perform the job effectively on certain ant species.
For a list and pictures of the ants we treat Click Here to see the ANTS
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Bed Bugs

Bedbugs are flat, reddish-brown, oval insects about 3/16 inch long and are swollen and reddish after a blood meal. They live in cracks and crevices including mattress seams, sheets, furniture, behind baseboards, electrical outlet plates and picture frames. Often found in hotels, where they can travel from room to room and in visitors� luggage.

Females can deposit one to five eggs a day, and may lay 200 to 500 eggs in her lifetime. Under normal room temperatures and with an adequate food supply, bed bugs can live over 300 days. Bites can leave itchy, bloody
welts on the skin and can cause allergic reactions, such as severe itching.
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Beetles

Beetles are a group of insects which have the largest number of species. They are placed in the order Coleoptera, which means "sheathed wing" and contains more described species than in any other order in the animal kingdom, constituting about twenty-five percent of all known life-forms. Forty percent of all described insect species are beetles (about 350,000 species), and new species are frequently discovered. Estimates put the total number of species, described and undescribed, at between 5 and 8 million.

Beetles can be found in almost all habitats, but are not known to occur in the sea or in the polar regions. They often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are prey of various animals including birds and mammals. Some species of beetles are important controls of agricultural pests. For example, ladybugs consume aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops
Look for BEETLES.Click Here.

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Box Elder Bug

Box elder bugs normally feed on the leaves, flowers, and seed pods of the box elder tree or silver maple. Large numbers of box elder bugs are usually on the female, or pod-bearing, tree. These insects feed on male box elder trees and other trees and plants, but they usually do not build up to such large numbers. The adults search for a place to over winter which brings them into houses where they hide in small cracks and crevices in walls, door and window casings, attics, and around the foundation. During warm days in winter and early spring they come out and scatter through the house. They are primarily a nuisance as they crawl or fly about in the rooms.
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Camel Crickets

Camel crickets get their name because of their slightly humpbacked appearance. Their long legs give them a spider-like appearance. Unlike most cricket species that we see, camel crickets do not "chirp". If you are hearing chirping sounds indoors, then you likely have field crickets. Outdoors, camel crickets are typically found in moist areas including under stones and logs, or in stacks of firewood. Areas that are overgrown with vegetation such as ivy and other ground covers provide excellent hiding places. The crickets often invade storage buildings, crawlspaces, basements, garages and indoor areas where moisture may be a problem (e.g., bathrooms, laundry rooms, etc.). Although they are mostly a nuisance pest, they can damage stored items, such as garments and linens packed in boxes in a garage or basement if the problem goes unchecked for some time and the crickets cannot find suitable food.
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Centipedes

Though house centipedes are found both indoors and outdoors it is the occasional one on the bathroom or bedroom wall, or the one accidentally trapped in the bathtub, sink, or lavatory that causes the most concern. Centipedes prefer to live in damp portions of basements, closets, bathrooms, unexcavated areas under the house and beneath the bark of firewood stored indoors. House centipedes feed on small insects, insect larvae, and on spiders. Thus they are beneficial, though most homeowners take a different point-of-view and consider them a nuisance.

The body is 1 to 1-1/2 inch long, but its 15 pairs of legs make it appear to seem much larger. The body is grayish-yellow with 3 dark stripes extending along the full length of the back. The legs are long in proportion
to the body size, and they have alternate light and dark bands running around them.
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Cockroaches

Cockroaches are the most common insect pests infesting homes, food service establishments and other structures in Virginia. Cockroaches are repulsive and objectionable to most people simply by their presence. They are also capable of transmitting disease organisms such as the bacteria which cause food poisoning. Recently, cockroaches have been found to be an important source of allergy in people, second only to house dust. The German Cockroach has been known to transfer salmonella and e-coli bacteria.
The Oriental Cockroach is frequently referred to as a Water Bug, and the Smoky Brown and the American Cockroach are also called Woods Roaches. The German and Brown Banded Cockroaches are the ones most frequently found infesting homes. There are many other Cockroaches but the ones shown below are the most common in this area.

Cockroaches typically become established in homes after being introduced in grocery bags, with laundry or, in some cases, wandering in from outdoors. Once cockroaches become established they are prolific breeders capable of producing several thousand offspring in a year.

Cockroaches prefer to live where there is food, warmth and moisture. Since cockroaches flourish where food and moisture are readily available, sanitation is an important step in prevention and control. Empty soft drink bottles, cardboard boxes and paper bags should not be allowed to accumulate. Food containers should be sealed and any crumbs or spillage cleaned up.
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Earwigs

Found in wet damp places throughout the United States, earwigs are especially common in wet basements, potted plants that are over watered and in bathrooms. Their pinchers are not able to break human skin and are not a danger.
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Fleas

They are tiny reddish brown insects measuring about 1/6-inch in length and are laterally flattened. Their flat shape allows cat fleas to easily pass between the hairs of animals. The cat flea is the species involved in most home infestations and will attack both cats and dogs. It is usually carried into the home by a pet. Once inside, large populations can build up quickly.

One female flea can lay about 18 eggs a day and just 20 fleas on a dog can produce 360 eggs per day and over 2000 eggs in a week. After the home is treated, it may take up to two weeks or more before fleas are no longer seen. The reason for this is that flea pupae are unaffected by the treatment until the adult fleas emerge from their pupal cocoon. In any flea population, all stages of the flea will be present including numerous
pupae. It will take several weeks for all adult fleas to emerge from these pupae and contact the pesticide.
Vacuuming as often as possible both before and after the treatment can speed up this process because it stimulates
adult fleas to emerge from their cocoons.
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Millipedes

Millipedes live outdoors in damp areas such as under leaves, needles and dead plant debris, or in cracks and crevices. They feed on damp and decaying vegetable matter and are beneficial as "recyclers" of organic matter. However, they become a pest when they migrate into buildings as occasional invaders. Millipedes are usually found in the garage, basement or lowest level although they may wander into other parts of the house. They are most active at night and usually hide during the day in cracks and other moist locations.

Millipedes are harmless; they do not feed upon building structures or furnishings and they can not bite or sting. Millipedes can not reproduce indoors. All millipedes found inside wandered in by mistake.
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Mosquitoes

Mosquito is a small, long-legged insect of the order Dipteral, the true flies. The females of most species have piercing and sucking mouth parts and apparently they must feed at least once upon mammalian blood before their eggs can develop properly. The males may have beaks, or proboscis, but cannot pierce, and they feed upon fruit and plant juices. The female produces the characteristic whining sound by vibrating thin horny membranes on the thorax. The eggs are laid singly or glued together to form rafts, usually in stagnant water in ponds, pools, open containers, and other aquatic habitats�the particular type of habitat depending on the species.
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Moths

Moths, and particularly their caterpillars, are a major agricultural pest in many parts of the world. The caterpillar of the gypsy moth causes severe damage to forests in the northeast United States, where it is an invasive species. In temperate climates, the codling moth causes extensive damage, especially to fruit farms.

Several moths are commonly regarded as pests because their larvae eat fabric such as clothes and blankets made from natural proteinaceous fibers such as wool or silk. They are less likely to eat mixed materials containing artificial fibers. There are some reports that they can be repelled by the scent of wood from juniper and cedar, by lavender, or by other natural oils. However, many consider this unlikely to prevent infestation. Naphthalene (the chemical used in mothballs) is considered more effective, but there are concerns over its effects on human health. Moths are sturdy and usually are more resistant to pesticides than are mosquitoes and flies.
Despite being framed for eating clothing, most moth adults do not eat at all. Most like the Luna, Polyphemus, Atlas, Prometheus, Cercropia, and other large moths don't have mouths. When they do eat, moths will drink nectar. Only one species of moth eat wool. The adults do not eat but the larvae will eat through wool clothing. To look for MOTHS Click Here.

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Rats/Mice

Rats live in any situation that provides food, water and shelter. In homes they will live in attics, wall cavities, basements or under floorboards. In gardens, they will burrow into compost heaps and grassy banks or under sheds. They are also commonly found living in sewer systems.
Their favourite foods are cereal products, although they will eat almost anything that humans eat and some that humans don't � including each other.
Most of the damage they do is by gnawing and ripping open packets. They also foul food with urine and droppings.

The house mouse is a small, slender rodent that has a slightly pointed nose, small black, somewhat protruding eyes, large sparsely haired ears, and a nearly hairless tail with obvious scale rings. They are generally grayish brown with a gray or buff belly. An adult house mouse weighs about 2/5 to 4/5 of an ounce (11 to 22 grams). House mice breeds year round. Females come into heat and are capable of conceiving every four days. A female may have 5 to 10 litters of 4 to 8 young per year. The gestation period is 18 to 21 days. A female is sexually mature at 6 to 10 weeks of age. The average house mouse lives for one to two years.
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Silverfish

The silverfish is a primitive wingless insect is about 1/2 in. long, named for the tiny silver scales on its body. Silverfish prefer humid areas (75 to 97% humidity), they like bathrooms and moderate temperatures (70o to 80o F). They are active at night or are active in dark places found throughout the structure and can be a problem year round. Silverfish are found in basements, kitchens, sinks, bathtubs, in bookcases, on closet shelves, behind baseboards, wallpaper, window or door frames, wall voids, and sub-floor areas. Attics are a favorite place for silverfish due to the abundant food sources due to the recycled blown in paper insulation and storage boxes. You may see them trapped in sinks and bathtubs because they enter seeking moisture and are unable to climb a slick vertical surface to escape.
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Spiders

Spiders are difficult to control as their body is up off the surface and does not come into contact with applied pesticides. Also, they do not groom themselves as some other insects do and do not ingest any pesticide that they may have walked through. They are best controlled by killing the individual spiders and removing any webs they may make. Pesticides applied at entry points (around doors and windows) will help as they may come into contact with it in these smaller openings. SPIDERS
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Springtails

Springtails are small insects which thrive where there is a lot of moisture. This can be in bathrooms, kitchens, basements, crawl spaces, behind walls, under siding, under mulch and just about anywhere moisture is prevalent and persistent. Springtails do not do any damage nor do they bite but because they will emerge in a mass, people fear them. Springtails are commonly mistaken for fleas but are dramatically different. They eat mold, mildew, fungus and decaying organic matter which is usually present in moist areas. They can be found in great numbers in homes which have been built for several years or in homes which are new. Springtails prefer to live under slabs, mulch, around drain lines, under house siding or under piles of wood. They will readily move under siding if moisture is conducting there and from there move into homes.
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Termites

Though house centipedes are found both indoors and outdoors it is the occasional one on the bathroom or bedroom wall, or the one accidentally trapped in the bathtub, sink, or lavatory that causes the most concern. Centipedes prefer to live in damp portions of basements, closets, bathrooms, unexcavated areas under the house and beneath the bark of firewood stored indoors. House centipedes feed on small insects, insect larvae, and on spiders. Thus they are beneficial, though most homeowners take a different point-of-view and consider them a nuisance.

The body is 1 to 1-1/2 inch long, but its 15 pairs of legs make it appear to seem much larger. The body is grayish-yellow with 3 dark stripes extending along the full length of the back. The legs are long in proportion to the body size, and they have alternate light and dark bands running around them.
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Ticks

Ticks are found on a wide rage of hosts including mammals, birds and reptiles. Black-legged ticks, I. scapularis are known to transmit Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, to humans and animals during feeding, when they insert their mouth parts into the skin of a host, and slowly take in the nutrient-rich host blood.
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Wasps/Bees/Hornets

Treating hornets can be dangerous. If a nest is in an area that does not threaten people, it should be left alone, to die naturally during the winter. This will allow for developing larvae to mature and leave the nest, avoiding the smell of decaying brood. Dry, empty nests do not smell, so removing them is often not necessary. If a nest is in a structure or near human activity, homeowners should seriously consider hiring a pest control professional with expertise in killing and removing hornet nests. Wasps/Bees/Hornets
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Disclaimer

*Squirrels, Skunks, Opossum, Raccoons and Snakes and others are considered wildlife and are not managed by All Seasons Termite and Pest Control. There are some companies which specialize in these and are listed in the phone book.

(All Seasons Termite and Pest Control does not do gas fumigation)