Ants are nuisance pests around the home because they feed on and contaminate human foods, infest structures by nesting in wall voids and/or underneath kitchen sinks and other places, and build unsightly mounds in lawns and other landscapes. In some cases, ants are able to inflict painful bites or can have venomous stings. Ants do not attack or eat fabrics, leather or wood in houses. However, some species can establish nests in decaying wood, including wood in human structures.
Spiders belong to the class Arachnida, which contains organisms with four pairs of legs, no antennae and two body regions. A shield-like carapace covers the head and the area from which the legs arise. Their mouthparts, or chelicerae, function vertically.
Sometimes referred to as red coats, chinches, or mahogany flats (USDA 1976), bed bugs, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, are blood-feeding parasites of humans, chickens, bats and occasionally domesticated animals (Usinger 1966). Bed bugs are suspected to carry leprosy, oriental sore, Q-fever, and brucellosis (Krueger 2000) but have never been implicated in the spread of disease to humans (Dolling 1991). After the development and use of modern insecticides, such as DDT, bed bug infestations have virtually disappeared. However, since 1995, pest management professionals have noticed an increase in bed-bug-related complaints (Krueger 2000).
Carpenter ants are in the genus Camponotus, in which up to over 900 species have been described worldwide. They get their common name, “carpenter ant,” because some species excavate nests in wood. Carpenter ants are sometimes called bulldog ants or bull ants. However, not all species in the genus Camponotus are true carpenter ants because some nest in preformed cavities or in soil. Two carpenter ant species that are common around structures in the South are the Florida carpenter ant and the Tortugas carpenter ant. These bicolored arboreal ants are among the largest ants, making them apparent as they forage or fly indoors and out.
The American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus), is the largest of the common peridomestic cockroaches measuring on average 4 cm in length. It occurs in buildings throughout Florida, especially in commercial buildings. In the northern United States the cockroach is mainly found in steam heat tunnels or large institutional buildings. The American cockroach is second only to the German cockroach in abundance.
Fleas have been a persistent problem in the home for thousands of years. They can afflict a wide range of hosts such as cats, dogs, and even you. Fleas are not only an annoying pest that can cause terrible itching; they also can transmit diseases and parasites. The famous bubonic plague is one such disease they can transmit. The most common parasite they transmit is the common tapeworm which occurs when the flea containing the tape worm is swallowed.
