Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus Solenopsis. Imported fire ants are aggressive, reddish brown to black ants that are 1/8 to 1/4 inch long. The construct nests which are often visible as dome-shaped mounds of soil, sometimes as large as 3 feet across and 1 1/2 feet in height. In sandy soil, mounds are flatter and less visible. Fire ants typically build mounds in sunny, open areas such as lawns, pastures, cultivated fields, and meadow, but are not restricted to these areas.

Mounds or nest may be located in rotting logs, around trees and stumps, under pavement and building, and occasionally indoors. When their nests are disturbed, numerous fire ants will quickly run our of the mound and attack any intruder. These ants are notorious for their painful, burning sting that results in a pustule and intense itching, which may persist for 10 days.

The Pharaoh Ant, Monomorium pharaonis (Linnaeus), may be the most difficult of all building-invading ants to exterminate. They have large colonies with multiple queens, nest almost anywhere within a structure, and will split large colonies into smaller ones at the slightest sign of stress.

Pharaoh Ants do not cause direct damage to the structures they inhabit, nor are they known to harm humans by biting or as disease carriers. They are a nuisance pest. Pharaoh Ants are very small. They do not exceed 1/12 inch in length. They are yellowish to reddish brown in color.

Subterranean termites are the most destructive insect pests of wood in the United States. They cause more than $2 billion in damage each year, more property damage than that caused by fire and windstorm combined. In nature, subterranean termites are beneficial by breaking down many dead trees and other wood materials that would otherwise accumulate. The biomass of this breakdown process is recycled to the soil as humus.

Termites become a pests when they attack the wooden elements of human structures– homes, businesses, and warehouses. Their presence is not readily noticed because they hide their activity behind wall boards, siding, or wood trim.

Termite workers make up the largest number of individuals within a colony. Workers are wingless, white to creamy white, and 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. They do all of the work of the colony, i.e. feeding the other castes, grooming the queen, excavating the nest, and making tunnels. Their “work” consists of chewing and eating wood, causing the destruction that makes termites economically important.

The German Cockroach, Blattella germanica (Linnaeus), is the cockroach of concern. This is the species that gives all other cockroaches a bad name. It occurs in structures throughout Alabama, and is the species that typically plagues multifamily dwellings. German cockroaches spoil food or food products with their feces and defensive secretions. They also transport, and often harbor, pathogenic organisms that may cause severe allergic responses.

The adult is 10 to 15 mm long, brown to dark brown in color, with two distinct parallel bands running the length of the pronotum. The sexes can be distinguished by the following characteristics: male- thin and slender body, tapered posterior abdomen with visible terminal segments, no leathery outer wings (tegmina); female- body stout with rounded posterior abdomen entirely covered by tegmina.

Adult American cockroaches are reddish-brown to dark brown (except for a tan or light yellow band around the shield behind the head), about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, and have wings capable of flight. Males and females are about the same size.

American cockroaches can be detected by examining the premises after dark with a flashlight. They occur in dark, damp, warm places, often near steam pipes, in sewers, grease traps, amp basements, etc. During the day, probing hiding places with a wire will expose roaches. Household sprays of pyrethrins applied to hiding places will flush out roaches, sometimes killings them if they contact the spray.

Southern Black Widow, Latrodectus mactans, is a venoumous species of spider in the genus Latrodectus. These spiders are known for their distinctive black and red coloring in the females. The southern widow is indigenous to the southeastern United States. Their webs are made of irregular, tangled, sticky silken fibers. They prefer to nest near the ground in dark and undisturbed areas, like under chairs and in basements.

A mature female will have a body length (excluding legs) of about 8-13 mm, and males are about 3-6 mm. The legs are long in proportion to the body. Females are shiny and black in color with the red hourglass on the under side of her abdomen. Juveniles have a grayish to black color with white stripes. Males may be either purple or have coloring similar to juveniles.

Wolf spiders, family Lycosidae, are usually large, hairy spiders that are not associated with webs. They look much worse and scarier than they actually are. They live mostly in solitude and hunt alone, and do not build webs. Wolf spiders are unique in that they carry their eggs on their backs in an egg sac.

The size and look of wolf spiders varies greatly. They can be from only 1/4 inch to 1 1/2 inches in body length, with a leg span of up to 3 inches. The coloring can range from brown (earth tone) with black to white markings. Their long bodies are covered with hair.

The Bald-faced Hornet, Dolichovespula maculata, is actually a large yellow jacket and not a true hornet. Bald-faced Hornets make large, pear-shaped nests that are often seen in trees after the leaves have fallen in the fall. The paper covering of the nest is made from chewed up wood or paper. They will attach their nests to trees, bushes, and sometimes even the side of a structure.

These wasps differ from yellow jackets in their white and black coloring. The head is white or “baldfaced”. They have three stripes at the end of their bodies. They are also notable larger than other species of Dolichovespula. The average adult is about 3/4 inch in length, with the queen being larger.

Millipedes are slow-crawling, round bodied pests which have two sets of legs on each body segment. Millipedes develop best in damp and dark locations with abundant organic matter (food). They often curl up into a tight “C” shape, like a watch spring, and remain motionless when touched. The body is long and cylindrical.

Millipedes range from 1-4 inches long and are dark brown in color.

Ladybugs, Harmonia axyridis, are usually about 1/4 inch in length with round bodies. The wings are usually red or orange. Spots will vary. Ladybugs are predators of aphids and the plant pests, so they may be found on a wide variety of plants outside.

As the weather cools in late summer and early fall, the sun warms the southern and western walls of buildings. The warmth attracts these insects to buildings where they crawl inside cracks and stay there for the winter. This would be fine, but during warm winter days, some insects “wake up” and come inside the building.

The most common domestic flea is the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. The adult cat flea, unlike many other fleas, remains on the host. Adults require a fresh blood meal in order to reproduce. The dog flea, Ctenocephalides canis, appears similar to the cat flea, but is rarely found in the United States. CAt fleas are commonly found on both cats and dogs in North America, while dog fleas are found in Europe.

In order to effectively control an infestation, fleas must be removed from the pet, the home, and the yard. Removal of fleas from the animal alone is futile. Immature fleas, which have developed into adults off the animal, simply jump on causing subsequent re-infestation. Flea combs may be sued to treat the pet, yet they only remove 10-60% of the fleas. By shampooing the animal, the dried blood and skin flakes, which provide food for the larvae, are removed.