Pests Archive | Page 4 of 16 | Bug Out - Pest Control and Extermination Services

Indian Meal Moth

Indian Meal Moths in Jacksonville FL

The Indian meal moth is a global pest and received its common name because it feeds on the meal made from Indian corn or maize. The Indian meal moth is easy to identify due to its characteristic wing pattern where the rear half of the wings is distinctly copper or bronze-colored. These moths are general feeders upon grain and grain products, dried fruits, seeds, graham crackers, nuts, powdered milk chocolate, and candies. Home infestations can be traced back to nearly any food source but commonly originate in dried pet food or birdseed.

Indian Meal Moth Habitat

The Indian meal moth is the most common food-infesting moth found in homes, grocery stores, and any place where dried pet foods are produced or stored. Adults do not eat, and larvae feed constantly on grain products, spinning large amounts of silken webbing over the food sources. Since it prefers the coarser grades of flour, it is the most common insect found in packages of whole wheat, graham flour, and cornmeal. Nuts are also a common breeding source, especially the nut caches of squirrels in attics and chimneys.

Indian Meal Moth Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Though Indian meal moths do not bite or pose any serious health risks, they are a nuisance in the home as they infest grain and stored pantry products. The larvae do considerable damage as they contaminate food and deposit silken webbing on food products. The waste from contamination is greater than the amount of food consumed. Flying adults are a common sign of an infestation. Adults are attracted to light and may move to distant rooms in the house away from the infestation. As a result, they are also commonly mistaken for clothing pests.

If an infestation is present in your Jacksonville FL home, locate and discard all infested material. Contact your local pantry pest control experts for help or advice with Indian meal moths!

Mole

Moles in Jacksonville FL

Moles are small insect-eating mammals and are widespread across the United States. Contrary to popular belief, moles are not part of the rodent family and are highly specialized digging machines. They spend most of their time underground and some are even semi-aquatic. Although their presence is well known by their recognizable mounds, they are rarely seen. Moles cause significant damage through their burrowing activity, which dislodges plants and dries out their roots. In lawns, the resulting mounds and ridges are unsightly and disfiguring.

Mole Habitat

Moles prefer wooded areas as their natural habitat, but they are also comfortable in residential yards and farm fields. Moles live almost entirely underground in a vast network of interconnecting tunnels. Active year-round, moles are particularly busy in spring and fall, frequently creating shallow tunnels just below the surface where they capture worms, insects, and other invertebrates. Moles are beneficial in that a typical 5-6 ounce mole can eat as much as 50 pounds of insect pests and grubs in a year! During rainy periods, molehills are abundant as earthworms move toward the surface.

Mole Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Since moles are seldom present above ground and rarely come into contact with people, they are not considered to be a physical threat to humans. Contrary to popular opinion, moles will not eat vegetation in residential and rural landscapes. However, their surface tunnels can disturb plant roots, which can cause distress. In lawns, molehills make walking and mowing difficult, sometimes damaging the grass. Mole tunnels can be hijacked by meadow voles, small rodents who do eat plants. The first sign of a mole problem will be several molehills or ‘ridges’ caused by tunneling. If you are having an issue with moles, it is best to consult a professional wildlife control company for removal.

Opossum

Opossums in Jacksonville FL

There are at least 103 species of opossum, but the Virginia opossum is the single species found in the United States. About the size of a large house cat, opossums are considered beneficial mammals because they eat a variety of insects and snakes, causing many property owners to consider them beneficial. Opossums are nomadic, seldom staying long in any one place, and utilizing abandoned burrows or crawl spaces. They may sometimes become a nuisance to homeowners when foraging for food and shelter.

Opossum Habitat

Possums do not dig dens or burrows underground, however, they will live in those that have been abandoned. They will wait for another animal to abandon their home before moving in, and actually prefer to live in trees for the protection they provide. They may enter attics, walls, and crawl spaces of homes if they have access. The presence of an unusual and foul odor in your home may point to there being a possum living in your walls

Opossum Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Opossums pose no major threat to humans or pets. Their teeth are not meant for attacking or even preying on animals; their teeth are good for chewing and holding. They do not attack humans and instead will play “dead” when danger is perceived. Opossums don’t dig holes, destroy gardens, bite, sting, or stay in one place for very long. However, opossums can carry various parasites and diseases. They are not the cleanest of animals and carry a strong odor if they access attics and crawl spaces in homes. If opossums are an issue, it’s best to have them removed humanely by a professional wildlife control company.

Raccoon

Raccoons in Jacksonville FL

Raccoons are stocky mammals and are distinctively marked with a black “mask” over their eyes. Found throughout most of the United States, and into northern South America. raccoons are nomadic, but only within a marked territory. They do not dig or make nests but prefer to mark locations, remembering them as available shelters. Raccoons are active year-round but may take cover in dens during periods of severe winter weather. For homeowners, raccoons are notorious “backyard bandits”, rummaging through garbage cans, popping kiddie pools, and generally causing mayhem.

Raccoon Habitat

Raccoons prefer wooded areas near water and natural habitats, sleeping in abandoned burrows, and the crooks of trees. In urban settings, raccoons will make their homes in empty crawl spaces, underneath porches, and within attics. Raccoons roam around rural or urban areas, finding food where they can and scouting new locations. They will eat almost anything, including insects, fruit, vegetables, and small animals, if necessary. Raccoons are nocturnal and notorious for raiding garbage cans during overnight hours. Raccoons are attracted to gardens or homes because they offer a food resource and potential den sites.

Raccoon Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

While not all raccoons have rabies, raccoons, in general, are major hosts of rabies in the U.S., especially in the eastern part of the country where their populations are increasing. Pets should be properly vaccinated to mitigate this threat. Raccoons will kill poultry, destroy bird nests, and damage gardens or crops. They can destroy a home’s insulation, wood, shingles, electrical wiring, and walls as they try to create dens. Droppings, urine stains, or built-up materials from creating a nest are other signs of raccoon activity. If you are having an issue with raccoons, it is best to consult a professional wildlife control company for removal.

Skunk

Skunks in Jacksonville FL

The average skunk is about the size of an adult house cat, and its’ fur is mostly black with white on top of the head and neck. Skunks are found throughout the United States and are known to produce an oily, yellow sulfur-alcohol compound that contains sulfuric acid. This pungent liquid is stored in two separate scent glands located on each side of the anus and can be squirted accurately at targets as far as 6 to 10 feet away as a self-defense mechanism. The secretion is acrid enough to cause nausea and can produce severe burning and temporary blindness if it strikes the eyes.

Skunk Habitat

Skunks construct dens in burrows and will often use abandoned burrows dug by ground squirrels, foxes, or coyotes, enlarging them if necessary. In urban settings, they den under decks, porches, or beneath buildings. If other suitable dens are unavailable, skunks will burrow and construct dens. Skunks do not hibernate; but in regions with colder weather, they may congregate in communal dens during the winter. Skunks are attracted to residential areas by the availability of food, water, and shelter.

Skunk Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Skunks are primarily nocturnal animals and their activity around buildings may go unnoticed until one takes up occupancy beneath a porch, deck, slab foundation, or has an encounter with another animal, such as a dog. A pet that exhibits an offensive smell, is an indicator that a skunk may be nearby. Skunks have been found infected with an array of diseases, including rabies. If your pet has an encounter with a skunk, it should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. If you are having an issue with skunks, it is best to consult a professional wildlife control company for removal.

Merchant Grain Beetle

Merchant Grain Beetles in Jacksonville FL

The merchant grain beetle is a common stored product pest found throughout the United States in homes, grocery stores, food warehouses, and grain storage facilities. Similar in appearance to the sawtoothed grain beetle, the merchant grain beetle has the ability to fly, while the sawtoothed grain beetle does not. They are incapable of attacking sound grain kernels and often occur in food previously infested by other stored product pests. Their flattened body allows them to easily penetrate broken kernels of grain and packaged materials. Not only do they contaminate food, they often cause mold problems due to moisture build-up.

Merchant Grain Beetle Habitat

Merchant grain beetles are commonly found in food manufacturing, storage, retail facilities, and home pantries. These stored product pests can infest and contaminate breakfast foods, cereals, macaroni, candy, chocolate, sugar, cake mixes, brownie mixes, nuts, dried pet food, bread, rolled oats, biscuits, cornmeal, and other dry goods. A single female can lay up to 250 eggs within cracks of kernels of grain. As with other pantry insects, it is the larvae that do most of the damage, however, the adult is most commonly encountered. A typical discovery of a merchant grain beetle infestation occurs when adult beetles are discovered crawling around a pantry area.

Merchant Grain Beetle Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Merchant grain beetles do not bite or sting and are not known to carry or transmit any diseases to humans. They are nuisance pests and will contaminate and damage food that is stored in the home. Adults can readily enter sealed cardboard boxes and soft plastic packaging. Merchant grain beetles typically enter homes in products purchased from grocery stores that are already infested with larvae or adults. The primary infestation usually originates at the manufacturing facility where the product was produced. If you suspect a merchant grain beetle issue on your property, contact your local pantry pest control experts.

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