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ENTOMOLOGY AND PEST MANAGEMENT |
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KEY CONCEPTS
II. Insect Pests of Houses, Pets and Humans
IV. Submitting Insects for Identification
V. Orders of Insects and Their Feeding Parts
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INSECT PESTS OF HOUSES, PETS, AND HUMANS
Fleas are important pests in Ohio. They are usually active from July to October, but can be a problem year-round if they take up residence indoors. Fleas can transmit diseases to humans and tapeworms to dogs and cats. They cause irritating bites on pets, domestic animals and people.
Fleas are wingless, hard-bodied insects. Their flattened body allows them to move easily through hair. Understanding the life cycle of fleas helps with control. Control of flea problems involves treatment of the infested pet, the house and the yard.
Flea collars do not effectively get rid of an existing infestation; however, they can help prevent infestation on pets. Fact Sheet 2081 gives information on biological and botanical products for control and explains the flea life cycle. Pest control professionals also can treat effectively for fleas.
Bees and wasps are social insects which are generally beneficial. There are numerous types of bees, wasps and hornets in Ohio. Bees, wasps and hornets control harmful house and garden pests and pollinate many crops. However, these insects sometimes nest in or near our homes. They can become aggressive when people get too close to their nests or disturb them.
Bees have plump, hairy bodies. Their wings lay flat against their bodies when they are resting. Bees are strict vegetarians. They only eat pollen and nectar.
Honeybees can sting only once and then they die. Honeybees overwinter in their nests feeding on stored honey. Most unwanted honeybee nests should be handled by a beekeeper.
Honeybees that build a nest in a wall of the house require special control precautions. The honey in nests in a dwelling can go rancid or the nest can be parasitized, attracting other insects. A list of beekeepers is available at the Extension office.
Wasps are narrow, streamlined insects. They have slender waists and long legs. Their color is usually brown or black with red or yellow markings, and they look shiny. Their papery nests often are found under eaves, in trees and shrubs, and in attics and porches. Wasps do not reuse nests from year to year. Most of a colony is killed by freezing temperatures.
Wasps are primarily carnivorous and consume many undesirable garden pest insects. In late summer wasps are attracted to sugary foods when the normal insect populations decline. Wasps can sting repeatedly.
Populations of wasps are highest in August. This is also when garden pest insects reach their highest peak. Most problems are reported in late summer. Some people become alarmed when there are large numbers nearby. Intolerable numbers of these insects will vary from situation to situation. Some people are highly allergic to stings, so any bees, wasps or hornets may be reason for concern.
Yellowjackets are the most common stinging wasp in Ohio. They have black and yellow stripes and are commonly mistaken for bees.
Yellowjackets nest in and around buildings and in the ground. They become major pests from August to October, when populations swell. Because yellowjackets are attracted to sweets and meat, they are common pests at outdoor gatherings.
Fact Sheets 2077, "Hornets and Paper Wasps," 2075, "Yellowjacket Wasps," and 250, "Bees and Wasps," and 251, "Social Bees and Wasps" are in the References, Ento.18, Ento.19, Ento.20 and Ento.21. They give details on identification, ways to avoid attracting stinging insects, and general control.
Some insects carry microscopic, disease-causing organisms within their bodies. These insects spread diseases to animals or plants. A classic example is the Dutch elm disease that is spread by the elm bark beetle.
There are many types of mosquitoes. In addition to their simple annoyance by biting, many mosquitoes are capable of transmitting diseases to humans and pets. Mosquitoes are VECTORS of breakbone fever, yellow fever, dog heartworm and several types of encephalitis, among other diseases.
Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Common containers include discarded tires, seldom-used children's pools, watering cans, birdbaths, hollow logs, tree stumps and stopped-up rainspouts. Eliminate all mosquito breeding sites. Fact Sheet 2148, Reference Ento.22, details identification and control measures for mosquitoes.
Some insects do more damage by transmitting plant diseases than from their feeding on plants. The feeding causes minor damage. It creates an opening in plant tissue for plant disease organisms carried by the insect. For example, the cucumber beetle carries cucumber bacterial wilt. Other insects in Ohio that may spread disease as well as do feeding damage include leaf hoppers, flea beetles and aphids.
Certain insects and mites may become a nuisance in and around the home. They enter the home through windows, doors or small openings in siding. This group includes leaf-footed beetles, elm leaf beetles, cluster and face flies, earwigs and clover mites.
Leaf-footed beetles are frequently mistaken for squash bug and boxelder bug. Fact Sheet 2142 gives good illustrations for identification.
Elm leaf beetles are common pests of American, Chinese and Siberian elms. They frequently enter homes in the autumn.
Neither of these insects cause damage in the home. They should be swept up and destroyed.
Cluster and face flies appear in homes on warm, sunny days during autumn, winter and early spring. They can appear in large numbers in windows of rooms that are not frequently used. These flies hibernate in protected places over winter. When crushed, they leave a spot on cloth and wood surfaces. They do not bite people or feed on structures or furnishings. Fact Sheet 2110 gives details on these flies.
The posterior pincers of earwigs frighten people. Earwigs do not establish populations indoors. However, they do come into the house, moving rapidly around baseboards. They require moist, cool places to live and feed on sweet or greasy food or houseplants. Fact Sheet 2068 provides proper control measures.
Clover mites are cool-season mites that feed on turfgrasses and landscape plants. They often enter the home in large numbers in spring and late fall. When crushed, the mites leave a red stain. They are a nuisance, but are not harmful to people, pets, food or furnishings. Vacuuming them without crushing them is a simple solution.
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