Pests Archive - Page 7 of 12 - Ja-Roy Pest Control - Pest Control & Extermination Services

Cicada Killer Wasp

Cicada Killer Wasps in Louisiana

Cicada killer wasps are one of the largest wasp species in North America. Female wasps often attack cicadas in flight, sting them until they become paralyzed, and take them back to the nest to feed her larvae. Cicada killers are found throughout the U.S., Mexico, and parts of Central America. These wasps dig holes or burrows, preferably in soft, sandy, and well-drained soil. They may be found on sloped terrains, in flower beds, along patio edges or sidewalks, as well as in the yard.

Cicada Killer Wasp Habitat

Cicada killer wasps appear as adults in late June or July and are mostly seen visiting flowers or digging burrows in sandy or light soil. The cicada killer wasp nests in the ground near cicada populations. Frequently, dozens of their burrows are located in lawns and on golf courses. A pile of soil often surrounds the entrance. The male wasp flies guard duty over the lawn, chasing away potential predators.

Cicada Killer Wasp Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Unlike other wasp species, cicada killers are not very aggressive and rarely sting humans or pets unless they are disturbed. Males are aggressive and territorial but do not possess a stinger. A sting from a cicada killer wasp can be painful and their venom may cause an allergic reaction in some people.

Cicada killers can be a nuisance if they are found on your property. Female wasps dig fairly large burrows, making quite a large mess near plants and vegetation. The burrowing behavior of this wasp can damage the roots of plants and make some structures, like walkways and pathways, unstable. If you are dealing with a cicada killer wasp problem, contact your local wasp removal experts for help.

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Asian Lady Beetle

Asian Lady Beetles in Louisiana

The multicolored Asian lady beetle was introduced into the United States from Asia to control aphids, scale, and other crop pests from 1978 to 1981. It is now widely distributed across the nation. Asian lady beetles may enter homes in large numbers and have become consistent overwintering pests in buildings and homes.

Asian Lady Beetle Habitat

This species is a voracious predator of crop pests and produces several generations per year. Their tendency to aggregate and ability to enter structures often causes this insect to become a significant structural pest. Hundreds and even thousands of these beetles have been found in and on homes. Asian lady beetles can be found in attics, wall voids, on siding, inside closets, and may be attracted to light.

Asian Lady Beetle Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Although Asian lady beetles may bite, their bite does not seriously injure humans or spread diseases. If handled or crushed, they will emit a foul odor and leave a stain. In fall, beetles seek out crevices and protected areas around homes to spend the winter, congregating in attics, wall cavities, cracks around door frames, and within soffits and wall voids. If a large number of beetles gain access inside of homes, they can stain drapery and clothing. Asian lady beetles cannot survive sub-freezing temperatures, although they can survive within homes and buildings that provide adequate warmth and humidity. If you are dealing with an infestation, always contact a licensed beetle exterminator.

Black Carpet Beetle

Black Carpet Beetles in Louisiana

The black carpet beetle is the most common and most destructive carpet beetle in Louisiana. It destroys any household products that contain keratin, a principal protein found in animal hair and feathers. Plant materials such as cereals and grains, as well as synthetic fabrics not derived from animal matter, may also be attacked. Additionally, dried insect specimens, such as those found in insect collections, are also destroyed.

Black Carpet Beetle Habitat

Outdoors, female beetles search out spider webs, bees, wasps, or bird nests as locations to lay their eggs. These nests and webs contain dead insects, beeswax, pollen, feathers, or other debris that can serve as larval food. Black carpet beetle adults are attracted to flowers, and in the spring, they may fly into homes and buildings. The larvae may wander from the nest into the attic and other parts of the house. Very often, black carpet beetles are brought into the house with old woolens and carpeting. Sometimes, black carpet beetles are introduced into homes or buildings in stored products such as dried dog food.

Black Beetle Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Black carpet beetles are scavengers. In homes, the black carpet beetle is a pest in kitchen cupboards, as well as in woolen carpets or clothing storage areas. Infestations can stem from bird nests, animal carcasses, or accumulations of dead insects such as flies or lady beetles in attics or basements. Stored products like cereal, pet food, birdseed, are other possible sources of carpet beetles. If you are dealing with a black carpet beetle infestation, always contact your local beetle exterminators.

Cigarette Beetle

Cigarette Beetles in Louisiana

The cigarette beetle is found throughout the world and the United States. It is an important pest of tobacco where the eggs are laid in the folds of newly harvested, baled, or bundled leaves in storage, but never on live plants in the field. Five or six generations per year may occur in warm localities, and in the U.S., three generations can occur per year. They can also be found in food storage areas and are known to chew through books, manuscripts, furniture fabrics, and other organic materials.

Cigarette Beetle Habitat

Cigarette beetle adults are strong fliers and will fly on late afternoons and dull cloudy days. These beetles are active all year long and will infest storage areas or warehouses that contain dried tobacco. In the southern parts of the country, cigarette beetles may fly to homes from nearby warehouses and cause a re-infestation. They will also invade homes to feed on cereal, flour, and other stored products that are a staple of most pantries.

Cigarette Beetle Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Cigarette beetles are not considered harmful to humans or pets. Their habit of infesting people’s food and pet food makes them a nuisance pest. This cosmopolitan species will infest dried vegetable materials including tobacco wherever it is stored and is the most destructive pest in stored tobacco. It is also a very serious pest of books, where it may cause injury to the binding and the leaves. If an infestation is suspected in homes, the focus will be on finding and discarding infested materials. It is particularly important to check spices, pet food, and old rodent bait. If you are dealing with a cigarette beetle problem, contact your local beetle exterminators for help.

House Spider

House Spiders in Louisiana

The domestic or common house spider is the most commonly seen spider in North America. Most often encountered indoors, the house spider is a nuisance pest because of its webs more than the spider itself. A house spider’s web is often called a cobweb and is made up of many crisscrossing strands of sticky silk. Cobwebs are generally found in corners of rooms and ceilings. A house spider is an excellent trapper, preying on any insect that is unfortunate enough to walk or fly into its sticky web. If their webs do not yield prey, the webs are abandoned and a new site is chosen.

House Spider Habitat

Common house spiders like living in quiet, undisturbed areas where moisture and food are available. They can usually be found in gardens, backyards, basements, attics, barns, sheds, and any other type of man-made structure. If left undisturbed, house spiders can live as long as seven years in the same web in places like attics, basements, and garages. When outside, female spiders die in the cold and males rarely live longer than a year.

House Spider Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Domestic house spiders move quickly, are not aggressive, and will often retreat when confronted. If cornered with no possible escape, house spiders may bite, although documented cases of domestic spider bites are extremely rare. If bitten, the symptoms may include slight pain, swelling, and itching. House spiders do not cause any property damage and are actually beneficial as they eat other pests that may cause damage, such as termites, carpenter ants, moths, and stink bugs.

If you are dealing with a common house spider problem, always contact your local spider exterminators.

Black Widow Spider

Black Widow Spiders in Louisiana

Widow spiders are known worldwide for their ability to cause pain and suffering in humans. Both males and females can range from dark brown to black, but only the females have the characteristic hourglass or spots on their abdomen. The clutter associated with human structures provides an ideal habitat for the black widow. These spiders are common around homes, barns, outbuildings, and rock walls. Though it is the most venomous spider in North America, black widow bites are rarely fatal, but they can be very painful.

Black Widow Habitat

Black widow spiders typically live outdoors, preferring to nest in quiet, dark, undisturbed areas near to the ground. Widows build irregular, erratic-looking webs and live in crevices or recesses within rock piles, block walls, sprinkler valve boxes, and undersides of patio furniture. Garages, outdoor sheds, and playground equipment are also popular spots to find black widows. Preferring to stay outdoors, black widows are typically brought into a home or structure, either in a box or on furniture. One of the most obvious signs of a black widow spider infestation is the presence of messy, irregular webs in the home or around the property.

Black Widow Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Black widow spiders, despite their venom, are typically non-aggressive. These spiders will only bite if provoked, commonly when they’re pinched, squeezed, or pressed. Most bites happen when a human accidentally brushes a hand against a black widow, typically when reaching to grab an item, or cleaning out a dark space. Within 20 minutes to an hour of a black widow bite, symptoms will begin, including stiffness, intense pain in the bite area, nausea, chills, and fever. Immediate medical attention is necessary if a bite is suspected or confirmed.

If you are dealing with a black widow problem, always contact your local spider exterminators.

Orb-Weaver Spider

Orb-Weavers Spiders in Louisiana

If there was a poster child for spiders, it would probably be the orb weaver, which builds the familiar circular-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. Orb weavers are found throughout the world, except for the Arctic and Antarctica. These arachnids are large, conspicuous, and many are very colorful. They spin elaborate webs in concentric circles in the garden and wait for nearby prey to become entangled. Orb weavers generally have poor vision and rely on web vibrations to locate and identify prey.

Orb-Weaver Spider Habitat

Like all spiders, orb weavers are carnivores, feeding primarily on insects and other small organisms that get trapped in their sticky webs. They are most abundant in summer, in garden areas, and around the home. Orb-weavers spin large, circular webs that can be as wide as six feet or more, often between buildings and shrubs. Homeowners may not even be aware of the spiders’ presence unless they walk outside after dark and see the web in a lighted area or walk into the web in the dark. Often, the edge of an eave is used as upper support, with the bottom frame lines attached to a shrub or the ground.

Orb-Weaver Spider Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Orb weavers can bite, but seldom do and their bite is not toxic to humans. Orb weavers are generally harmless and can be a nuisance when they build large webs in places inconvenient for humans. Occasionally, they will wander into a home and build a web in a doorway or window sill. Despite their formidable appearance, orb-weaver spiders are non-aggressive and not considered dangerous. However, be careful not to walk into their large, sticky webs at night. The fright of this spider crawling over one’s face can be terrifying and may cause anxiety and fear in some people.

If you are dealing with orb-weaver spiders inside your property, contact your local spider exterminators.

Wolf Spider

Wolf Spiders in Louisiana

Wolf spiders are active hunters and cause the greatest concern when encountered in homes. These spiders have excellent vision, allowing them to see humans approaching them, at which point, they flee. Many wolf spiders are nocturnal and use a reflective structure to maximize vision at night. Shining a flashlight at ground level will often allow one to see the green eye shines of this spider reflected from 10-30 feet away, depending on the spider’s size. Wolf spiders are rarely pests, but they sometimes wander into houses, where their large size often frightens homeowners.

Wolf Spider Habitat

Wolf spiders are active hunters that patrol the ground for insects, small spiders, and similar prey. They do not use webs to capture prey and actively hunt in the open during the day and night, often living by the thousands in leaf litter and grassy areas. Some wolf spiders build small burrows and defend a territory, others are free-roaming. Because they are so numerous, and such voracious predators, wolf spiders are a very important part of any ecosystem in which they occur. Female spiders may sometimes be seen with their young riding on their backs until they are independent enough to go off on their own.

Wolf Spider Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Wolf spiders can bite, but their bites are extremely rare. While they may be fast and aggressive when hunting their insect prey, they don’t usually bite people unless they are provoked or mishandled. A wolf spider bite may be painful, but it is not generally dangerous to healthy adults. However, sensitive individuals such as children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems may have some form of negative reaction.

If you are dealing with wolf spiders in your Louisiana property, contact your local spider exterminators.

Eastern Subterranean Termite

Eastern Subterranean Termites in Louisiana

The eastern subterranean termite is a social insect and the most common and widely distributed termite in North America. Due to its wide distribution, it is considered the most economically important and damaging species in the U.S. Termites consume cellulose, the main structural component of plant cells. Any wood material in a home is a potential food source, but it may also damage non-wood material in search of food. Termites rarely show themselves in the open, and infestations can be difficult to detect until the damage becomes severe.

Eastern Subterranean Termite Habitat

Eastern subterranean termites live in the ground and feed on plant materials. In structures, they live in walls, basements, crawl spaces, and other damp areas. Termites swarm in the spring to find a mate. Winged termites are attracted to light and will swarm around doors and windows. After fluttering about for a short time, the termites break off their wings and pair off, becoming king and queen of a new termite colony. A common sign of termites is the presence of mud tubes, inside or outside of a home. Termites make these earth-colored tubes primarily as a protected runway from the earth to the wood they feed upon.

Eastern Subterranean Termite Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Because termites consume cellulose, any wood material in a house is a potential food source. Termites are secretive, and when termite damage becomes evident, it is usually the result of a few years of infestation. The presence of swarming termites or their wings alone is a sure sign that termites are working in a building. Winged termites are often confused with winged ants;
however, most species of ants in the house are only nuisances and, except for carpenter ants, they do not damage the wood.

Always contact your local termite exterminators for help with eastern subterranean termite problems.

Fire Ant

Fire Ants in Louisiana

Fire ants get their name from their extremely painful sting and bite. One fire ant can sting and bite its victim repeatedly. These ants build mounds, and when a fire ant mound is disrupted, workers make their way to the surface to attack the intruder. Attacks by fire ants are coordinated as hundreds of workers sting at the same time. Feeding on almost any plant or animal material, fire ants also feed on other insects. Additionally, fire ants are attracted to electricity and have been known to destroy anything from AC units and water well equipment to outdoor lighting, creating a fire hazard.

Fire Ant Habitat

Attracted to moisture, fire ants nest near rivers, well-watered lawns, and potted plants. Fire ants build mounds that help to regulate temperature and moisture conditions in the colony. Mounds act as an above-ground nursery and provide excellent temperature and moisture conditions. Undisturbed fire ant mounds are frequently located in sunny open areas, such as pastures, parks, lawns, and fields. Omnivores, fire ants will feed on both plant and animal resources. When foraging for food, aggressive fire ants gain access to homes through cracks, crevices, gaps under doors, windows, or walls.

Fire Ant Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

The painful sting of a fire ant is a serious threat to humans and pets. Most venomous ants bite and then spray acid into the wound; fire ants bite and then use their stinger, located on their abdomen. For most people, the burning sensation goes away in a few minutes. However, hive-like bumps occur at the sting site within 30 minutes and pimples with yellow fluid occur within 24 hours after being stung. Large colonies can damage plants, lawns, and outdoor electrical fixtures. Due to the serious threat posed to people and their pets, if a mound is located, it is best to leave it alone and contact a professional ant exterminator.