Learn More About Common Pests

Don't let your pest problem go from bad to worse. You can turn to the professionals at A2Z Exterminating, LLC to correctly identify and eliminate any pest problem you have in your home or commercial property affordably and efficiently. Call us today!

• Bed bugs: Bed bugs are flat, reddish-brown, oval-shaped, and are generally about 3/16 of an inch long. They will become swollen and red after feeding. They live within tight spaces, especially mattresses and bed seams.
  Bed bugs feed on blood alone, and they prefer the blood of humans. Females can deposit 1 to 5 eggs a day, and they can produce up to 500 eggs in a lifetime. Under normal conditions with ample food, bed bugs have a lifespan of about a year.
• Subterranean termite swarmers: The subterranean termite swarmers have a body that’s dark brown to black and about 3/8 inch long. They have 2 translucent wings. These types of termites are the ones that most homeowners may see swarming in a group.
  Termites typically swarm in the spring during the afternoon. A swarm is an indication of a well-developed colony. After shedding their wings, the insects will burrow into the ground to start another colony.
• Subterranean termites: There are 3 different classes of termites in a colony. Workers are about 1/4 of an inch long, light in color, and have no wings. Soldiers have an elongated head with a mouthpiece. Supplementary reproductive termites are light in color and wingless. They live in underground colonies, where they expand their tunnels and hunt for food. 
  Termites consume wood and other cellulose matter. There is only one queen per colony. They can lay thousands of eggs in their lifetime. In an established colony, the majority of eggs are laid by supplementary reproductive termites.
• Carpenter ants: The carpenter ants are one of the largest ants. In some cases, they can grow to be 1 inch long. They are generally black. It’s common for them to nest in wood products. They don’t consume the wood, but instead, they bore into it to build a nest for the colony. 
  Surprisingly, the diet of the carpenter ants consists of anything people eat. They are also known to consume other insects or even dead ants in the colony.
• German cockroaches: The German cockroaches are generally light to medium brown, with 2 dark black streaks on the thorax. They feed at nighttime, and they will infest areas close to food, moisture, and warmth. They are the most common cockroaches found in buildings. They are infamous for eating practically anything. 
  An adult female can produce 1 egg capsule about once a month or every 25 days. One egg capsule can spawn as much as 45 cockroaches.
• Oriental cockroaches: The oriental cockroaches are dark brown to black. They most commonly enter buildings through sewer pipes. Their preferred living space is a damp, cool area, such as a basement. 
  They have a reputation for eating anything. They have even been observed eating sewage and decaying organic matter. An adult female can lay up to 8 eggs in its lifetime. An egg capsule will contain approximately 16 new roaches.
• House mice: The North American house mice are light brown or grey and 3 to 4 inches long. They have large ears, small eyes, and a pointed nose. Mice will generally nest within structures and burrows. They are known to establish a food source territory that is usually near their nest. Mice have a reputation for being inquisitive, but they are wary creatures. They are also excellent climbers. 
  They prefer to eat dry cereals and grains, but they are omnivorous. They are prolific breeders, and they reach sexual maturity after just 2 months. They can have litters every 40 to 50 days, producing about 4 to 7 baby mice per litter. An adult mouse usually lives for about one year.
• Norway rats: The Norway rats are brown in color and heavy-bodied. They grow to be 6 to 8 inches long with small eyes, small ears, and a blunt nose. The tail of the Norway rats is shorter than their head and body. They nest in underground burrows and crevices in buildings. Generally, they stay in hiding during the day. 
  They prefer to eat meat, but they’re omnivorous. Like mice, the Norway rats reach sexual maturity in just 2 months. Females will produce 8 to 12 babies in a litter. They have a very short incubation period, and they can have a litter up to 7 times in one year.
• Wolf spiders: Wolf spiders are 1/2 inch to 2 inches long. They are hairy and are most commonly brown to grey with markings. Female spiders carry their egg sacs around until they reach maturity. When baby spiders hatch, they climb onto their mothers back and remain there until moderately grown. They’re not poisonous, but as is the case with all spiders, bites can cause adverse reactions in some people. 
  They are common pests in the autumn because they look for a safe place to spend the winter. Wolf spiders don’t spin webs, but they journey at night in search of food. They are often confused with the brown recluse spider, but they don’t have the distinguishable violin-shaped marking behind the head.
• Yellowjacket: The yellowjackets are yellow and black. They grow to be 1/2 an inch to 1 inch long. Their waist is thin and defined with elongated wings. They are known for being violent defenders of their colonies. They can produce a painful sting, and each wasp is capable of multiple stings. They generally nest in the ground nest and spaces inside building walls. 
  The yellowjackets are pollinators. They’ll eat other insects, but they’re also scavengers, making them a nuisance for humans. The colony will produce several queens at the end of the summer and in winter and start new colonies in the spring.
• Bald-faced hornets: The bald-faced hornets have black coloring with a body and face marked in white. They grow to be 1/2 of an inch to 1 inch long. They build large, oval-shaped hanging nests. Colonies begin growing in the spring, and by the end of the summer, their nests can be as large as a basketball. There can be as many as 700 workers in a full-size nest. 
  The bald-faced hornet eats other insects. The workers are hostile when disrupted. Nests should never be allowed to develop near a dwelling. Due to the danger involved, nests should only be handled by professionals.
• Cat fleas: Adult cat fleas are about 1/8 of an inch long. They have shiny and reddish-brown bodies. The most common flea in North America is the cat flea. Fleas survive by attaching themselves to a host for a constant food supply. A female flea will lay her eggs on the hair or skin of the host. The eggs will then drop off the host and land on carpets, flooring, and bedding. The eggs will hatch after just 2 weeks. 
  Fleas are known to establish substantial populations wherever pets and farm animals are present. Fleas are known to feed on humans, and they can cause an allergic reaction in some individuals. It is also possible for fleas to carry human diseases.
• Millipedes: Common millipede species living in North America are brownish to black. They are about an inch and a half long with a segmented body that contains 2 pairs of legs per segment. Millipedes prefer to live near soggy and decaying wood and plants. 
  Millipedes lay their eggs in the ground. Most millipede species live for several years, and they don’t even reach sexual maturity in 2 years. Millipedes have been known to populate a specific area, completely covering the ground with their swarming bodies.
• House centipedes: Common house centipedes have long, flat, and segmented bodies that contain a pair of legs for every segment but one. Adults are brown and can grow to lengths over an inch long. They have a pair of long, sensitive antennae on their heads. Centipedes have small mouths, but they have large, claw-like appendages that contain glands full of venom used to paralyze their victims. 
  They’re carnivorous, nocturnal creatures that hunt for food. They prefer to live in dark, moist areas, and they can have a lifespan of up to 6 years.
• Earwigs: The size of an earwig ranges from 1/4 of an inch to 1 inch long. They are long, slim insects with two sets of wings. They have pinchers on the back of their bodies used to defend themselves and catch prey. Earwigs are nocturnal creatures. They like to hide in dark, damp places during daylight. They are omnivorous and eat both plants and insects. 
  Female earwigs lay eggs in burrows in the early spring. The female will care for the eggs until they hatch. She will then watch over the nymphs until they are mature enough to find food on their own. Earwigs are attracted to lights, and they will often move into dwellings in search of food or because of a change in weather.

Insects and rodents are a nuisance, but they also pose a health threat to you and your family because many of them carry diseases, and many insects can attack with venom. A2Z Exterminating, LLC offers comprehensive rodent and insect prevention and removal. Let us help you maintain a pest-free home and lawn.