Did you know that there are 2750 species of termites? Southern Arizona residents are most concerned with subterranean termites. They feed on cellulose which is one of the components that makes up wood. In addition to a food source, they require moisture. As a result, they will be attracted to areas around the home such as flowers beds or leaky faucets and areas in the home where there are leaky pipes or roof leaks. An early warning sign for the presence of termites is the telltale mud tunnels they leave on foundations.
Africanized Honey Bees   Africanized Honey Bees are descendants of southern African bees imported in 1956 by Brazilian scientists. Africanized bees will attack people and animals that wander into their territory, often resulting in serious injury or death. It is not necessary to disturb the hive to initiate an attack. Africanized bees have been known to attack as a result of noises, vibrations, equipment and pedestrians. Their venom is no more dangerous than native honey bees, but they attack in greater numbers and are more persistent. Once disturbed, colonies may remain agitated for hours, attacking people and animals within a range of a quarter mile from the hive. Safety tips: Be alert for bees coming and going other then foraging. They are quite docile when engaged in this activity. For the golfer or nature walker wear light-colored clothing, avoiding dark and brightly colored clothes. Bees are sensitive to odors, avoid wearing flowery or citrus aftershaves or perfume. If you do find a swarm or colony, leave it alone and keep pets away from the area. Call us. If you are attacked by bees, run! Don’t try zig zagging, just run in a straight line creating distance between you and the hive. Try to find shelter. If you have anything to cover your head do so, this includes your shirt. Do not try to hide in water. They will wait longer then you can hold your breath. If you see someone being attacked, call 911, don’t become a victim yourself. Remove stingers as soon as possible to lessen the amount of venom entering the body. Scrape stingers off the skin with a blunt instrument or plastic card. Do not remove bee stingers with fingers or tweezers – this only forces toxins into body.

Out of 3500 species of cockroaches, about 60 of those types live in the US. Most cockroaches live in tropical regions and fewer then 1% infest homes. Evidence has been found showing that cockroaches have been around for 300 million years. They prefer feeding on starches, grease, sweets and meat but will turn to a wide variety of foods including dried skin flakes and the starch in book bindings. German Cockroaches are the most common type found in homes, restaurants, hotels etc. Adults are medium brown and 1/2 to 5/8 inch in length. The female carries an egg capsule which will take about 28 days to hatch. With water, an adult can survive for a month without food. American Cockroaches (sewer roaches) grow up to 1.5 inches, are fast runners and can fly. They prefer to live in moist areas with some examples being basements, plant beds with mulch, palm trees and the cracks and crevices on porches. They live up to one year and although they will get into your home it is typically in small numbers.

Crickets are in the order Orthoptera which also includes grasshoppers and have 20,000 different species. Crickets can be a real nuisance with their chirping. If crickets are found in large enough numbers, they will damage some fabrics, paper, and food. It is not uncommon to see piles of their droppings around the foundation of your home and along the walls in garages. These piles are frequently mistaken by homeowners for Dry-wood Termite frass.

There are 14,000 species of scorpions. Most species in homes are not very poisonous. They tend to hide during the day and can be found in the house in clothing, shoes, under throw rugs and in closets. Scorpions feed on other small insects and lie in wait to snatch their prey. Scorpions are related to spiders, mites and ticks. There are roughly 1,300 species of scorpions worldwide. Scorpions have been found at elevations of over 12,000 feet in the Andes Mountains in South America and in the Himalayas of Asia, as well as the Alps. In snowy areas, they hibernate during the cold months of the year. In drought areas they may pass the summer in a dormant state. Scorpions are nocturnal. They often ambush their prey, lying in wait as they sense its approach. They consume all types of insects, spiders, centipedes, and other scorpions. They capture their prey with their pedipalps (claws), paralyzing them with their venom if necessary. Only one species of scorpion in Arizona, the Bark Scorpion, has venom potent enough to be dangerous to humans. The venom can cause severe pain and swelling at the site of the sting, numbness, frothing at the mouth, respiratory difficulties, muscle twitching, and convulsions. The sting is more dangerous to infants, small children and the elderly. Death is rare. Bark Scorpions are about 2 inches long. Birds, bats and rodents are some of the predators that feed on scorpions.

More flesh is eaten on African savannas by ants then by lions, hyenas and other carnivores. There is almost no food item that won't be eaten by some variety of ants. Live in a colony with a queen, workers and soldiers. There are thousands of species of ants. Ants are a nuisance for many reasons including their bites, stripping plants of their leaves and the damage carpenter ants can do to a home.

Tarantulas are nocturnal predatory spiders. They are 3-4 inches in diameter, and live in burrows with entrances 1 inch in diameter or greater. They stay in their burrows over the winter living off stored fat. There are more then 800 species of Tarantula. Certain species have been known to live up to 30 years. Tarantulas spend most of their time hidden, becoming active in the early evening from spring through fall. Some species make their own homes while others will move into existing lodging like crevices. They do not spin a web to gather food. They are nocturnal and hunt at night. They will feed on a wide variety insects like grasshoppers, beetles, and other spiders.
Black Widow Spiders   Black Widow spiders inhabit most of the warmer regions of the world. The female Black Widow is shiny black, usually with a reddish hourglass shape on the underside of her abdomen. Her body is about 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long when the legs are spread. Adult males are harmless to humans, about half the female's size, with smaller bodies, and longer legs and usually have yellow and red bands and spots over the back as do the immature stages. Black Widow spiders are not usually deadly, especially to adults, because they inject only a small amount of venom. Only the female Black Widow is dangerous to humans. The black widow spider is shy and nocturnal, usually staying hidden in her web. Although not aggressive, she may rush out and bite when her web is disturbed.

Rattlesnakes   Rattlesnakes come in 16 distinct varieties. They are all positively identified by the jointed rattles on the tail. While most of the rattlers are concentrated in the southwestern United States, they extend north, east and south in diminishing numbers and varieties, so that all the lower of the 48 states have at least one type. When temperatures begin to warm in May and early June, snakes come out of hibernation. They remain near the den entrance for a few days, sunning themselves, then make their way to where they will spend the summer. They rarely go more than a mile from their dens. Most snakes hunt at night and remain inactive for days at a time during the digestive period after eating. As a result more snakes are seen in the spring and fall.