What are rodents?

Rodents are mammals with sharp incisors used to gnaw wood, break into food, and bite predators. They eat seeds or plants, though some types have more varied diets.

Rodents are nocturnal creatures, spreading diseases (such as salmonella and tuberculosis) by contaminating food intended for human consumption, and causing damage to buildings and property by gnawing and burrowing into structures.

The term “rodent” encompasses both mice and rats. Mice are commonly found in interior environments and can live for up to 18 months. They range in length from 5 to 8 inches and can weigh up to 1 ounce. Female mice can produce 36 to 192 offspring per year.

Rats, specifically the Norway Rat, They range in length from 13 to 18 inches and can weigh up to 11 ounces. Females can produce 35 to 85 offspring annually.

What are termites?

Termites are insects that feed on dead plant materials, such as wood, leaf litter, soil or animal dung. Ten percent of the estimated 4,000 species of termites cause serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation forests.

Termites are social insects that live in underground colonies. A termite colony has 3 castes: workers, soldiers and winged “swarmers.”

During late winter or early spring, the winged swarmers emerge from the ground, attracted to light, and form large, dense groups to mate and start new colonies. While swarmers are not destructive, if they form a new colony, the resulting workers will feed on wood and can cause severe structural damage.

A colony’s king and queen can live for 10 to 30 years, while workers have a 2 year lifespan.

What are cockroaches?

The American cockroach is about 1.2 inches long, the German and Asian cockroaches are about a ½ inch long and the Oriental cockroach is about ¾ inch long. Tropical varieties of cockroaches are often much bigger.

Cockroaches are the most common insect pests in the Northeast, infesting homes, food service establishments and other structures. They are large, omnivorous insects capable of transmitting disease, which in turn, can cause food poisoning. Cockroaches are also the second most common allergen for people, the first being house dust.

Cockroaches can establish themselves in an environment after being carried in with laundry or grocery bags, but these insects can also wander in from outdoors. Once cockroaches become established, they are prolific breeders that can produce several thousand offspring a year.

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are six-legged nocturnal insects that feed on the blood of humans or warm-blooded animals. The most common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is the species most adapted to living with humans.

Adult bed bugs are mahogany to red in color and are flat and oval-shaped. They grow no larger than ¼ inch. Immature bed bugs (nymphs) resemble the adults, but are smaller and somewhat lighter in color and can appear translucent.

Bed bugs can live inside mattresses, baseboards, box springs, headboards, and many other cracks and crevices around the house, and they can lay 200 to 500 eggs during their lifetime. Under normal room temperatures and with an adequate food supply, bed bugs will typically live up to a total of 316 days.

What are Ants?

Ants are six legged social insects found almost anywhere on the planet. There are 455 types of ants in North America alone, identifiable by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist.

Ants prefer cool and damp locations and live in large and complex colonies that can consist of millions. Ants build many different types of homes: some make simple little mounds out of dirt or sand; others use small sticks mixed with dirt and sand to make a stronger mound that offers protection from rain. Some ants also live in wood, like termites.

A single queen ant can live for up to 30 years and can lay millions of eggs over her lifetime. Eggs usually develop into full adult ants over an 8 to 12 week time-frame.