Fleas - Order Siphonaptera (cat flea - Ctenocephalides)

Adults very small, wingless, dark brown to black, compressed laterally. Varva legless, worm-like, hairy. Eggs laid on the host, female may lay several hundred in her lifetime. Larva a scavenger feeding on debris in carpet or outdoors, including dried blood. Extremely important vector of diseases, and cause of discomfort and allergies.

Carpenter Ants (Camponotus spp.)

Adults up to 1" long, colors vary from tan to reddish to balck. single-node on pedicel, thorax without spines and with an even, rounded profile dorsally. Commonly establish satellite nest in structures connected to major nest in soil. Do not each wood, but may create large cavities in wood for nest.

Fire Ants (Solenopsis spp.)

Description: Fire ant workers vary in size, ranging from 1/16- to 1/4-inch long and are yellow to dark red-brown. The thorax locks spines, and the petiole has two nodes. They have a stinger at the tip of the abdomen and ten-segmented antennae, which is tipped with a two-segmented club.

Biology: The red imported fire ant single-queen colonies range in size from 80,000 - 250,000 workers and 30-100 mounds per acre. Multi-queen colonies have fewer workers per colony but 200-700 mounds per acre. Queens can produce approximately 1,500 eggs per day. The larvae mature into workers 22-38 days. Minor workers live 30-60 days, intermediate workers 60-90 days, and major workers 90-180 days. Queens live from two to six years. Males die shortly after swarming. Six to eight swarms occur each year and typically contain 4,500 swarmers. Other species have different biological characteristics.

Habits: Several species of Solenopsis are called, fire ants, because of the fiery pain their stings inflict upon the victim. These ants usually nest in the ground but can develop colonies in structures, especially in areas near the soil. They are attracted to electrical junction boxes, such as air conditioners and traffic signals. When nesting in the soil, they build large, unsightly mounds which are a detriment to cultivation of fields. Some species of fire ants nest in typical ant habitats, such as under stones, landscape timbers, in voids and around foundations.

These ants, and especially the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, have tremendously large colonies that can severely injure crops, lawns, young birds, and people. Fire ants prefer high protein foods but will feed on practically everything, including other insects, honeydew, seeds, fruit juices, nectar, plants, nuts, cereals, butter, grease, and meats. They also gnaw on electrical wiring and clothing, especially if it is soiled.

Control: Fire ants can cause problems in structures if the workers are habitually foraging in the structure for food. These areas can be partially protected from ants originating in outdoor mounds by applying barrier sprays or dusts of residual insecticides to the soil and foundations around a building. However, this type of treatment is not as effective as treatment of the nest itself.

Nests often require several treatments, especially if they are large and well established. Direct mound injection and drenches can be used success fully to reduce, and in some cases, eliminate the colony. However, baits which contain on insect growth regulator (IGR) and/or a slow acting stomach poison are more successful in eliminating colonies. Seven to ten days after the application of an IGR bait, a residual product should be applied to the immediate area in order to kill foraging workers.

Interior areas should be thoroughly treated with residual insecticides, especially in areas where ants appear to be entering or traveling.

Wasps

Identification. This information applies to all dangerous wasps found in the United States except the mutillids (previously discussed). Wasps are elongate insects with three distinct body parts and four wings. As with all winged forms of Hymenoptera, the front pair of wings is larger than the hind pair. Only the female wasps are equipped with a stinger at the posterior end of the abdomen. To distinguish wasps from similar-appearing bees, the specimen's thoracic hairs should be examined microscopically to determine if they are smooth (a wasp) or feathered (a bee).

In the United States members of the paper-wasp family (Vespidae) are generally considered to be the most dangerous because of their social nesting habits, aggressive behavior, and abundance. Two representative members of the Vespidae family found in North America are the bald-faced hornet, Vespula maculata, and a common yellow jacked, V pennsylvanica.

Although it takes an expert to identify most wasps according to species, the paperlike nests of the vespids make their identification easy. Another important group of dangerous wasps easily distinguished by their nests are the mud daubers. These wasps usually build their mud nests in the corners of man-made structures. Besides their distinctive nests, mud daubers are identified by their dark shiny color and long narrow waist.

Distribution. Dangerous species of wasps can be found throughout the United States.

Biology/Behavior. Most vespids are social insects that feed primarily on other arthropods. These wasps build paperlike nests by masticating wood fiber into pulp. In addition to the social wasps, many types of solitary wasps are capable of envenomization; but these wasps are easy to avoid since they are neither abundant nor aggressive. Female members of the dangerous wasp species will readily attack and inject their venom if someone disturbs or annoys them. Wasp stingers do not become detached, and a single wasp can sting a victim several times before retreating. Social wasps are particularly dangerous because a disturbance of their nest may result in attack by numerous wasps.

Avoidance/Control. Avoid garbage accumulation sites, which attract wasps. To avoid wasp stings, recognizing the nests of the dangerous species in the local area is important. If possible, remove and destroy all nests found around inhabitated areas.

Wasps can be controlled by treating their nests with insecticide-preferably at night, when the wasps are least active. Treat nests found above the ground with a commercial wasp spray or other insecticide recommended by an entomologist. To treat wasp nests in the ground or in houses, a 5% carbaryl dust may be used.

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