Ants

Ants are becoming a major problem all over the country.
They can be difficult to control, but there are some things you should know about how a colony of ants behavior can lead to big headaches for you and your home.

Entry: Ants can enter through even the tiniest cracks seeking sweet or greasy substances in the kitchen pantry or storeroom areas.
Scent trails: Ants leave an invisible chemical trail known as pheromones for others to follow once they locate the food source.
Nest locations: They can nest about anywhere in and around your house; in lawns, walls, stumps, even under foundations.
Colony size:Can number from 300,000 to 500,000 and whole colonies can uproot and relocate quickly when threatened.
Nature’s way of protecting the colony: With comparative freedom from natural enemies, a colony can live a relatively long lifetime. Worker ants may live seven years and the queen may live as long as 15 years.
Do-it-yourself ineffectiveness: Most do-it-yourself approaches only kill the ants you see, whereas a truly effective treatment will penetrate and destroy their nest to prevent them from returning. Also, home remedies don’t account for the fact that different kinds of ant infestations require different treatments.

Flies

More than 100 pathogens are associated with the house fly including: Salmonella, Staphylococcus, E. coli, and Shigella. These pathogens can cause disease in humans and animals, including: typhoid fever, cholera, bacillary dysentery, hepatitis, ophthalmia, polio, tuberculosis and infantile diarrhea. Sanitation is critical to controlling these pests, but accurate identification is essential for success. Here are some other things you should know about flies:

The life expectancy of a fly is eight days to two months.
Flies belong to the Order Diptera. There are 16,000 species of flies in North America.
Flies plague every part of the world except the polar ice caps.
One pair of flies can produce more than one million offspring in as little as six to eight weeks.
As many as 33 million micro-organisms may flourish in a single fly’s gut, while a half-billion more swarm over its body and legs.
Flies spread diseases readily because they move quickly from rotting, disease-laden garbage to exposed foods and utensils.
A fly deposits thousands of bacteria each time it lands.
U.S. Department of Agriculture sources reveal that flies contaminate or destroy $10 billion of agricultural products.
For every fly seen, there are an estimated 19 more hidden from view. This means humans don’t even see 95 percent of flies present at an infestation.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches can wreak havoc on your home. To win the war against cockroaches, here’s what you should know.

Entry: Cockroaches can enter your home in many different ways, from the outside through cracks and crevices, vents, sewer and drain pipes, even in grocery bags.
Ideal environment: Your home is an ideal breeding ground. With plenty of food, warmth, water and nesting sites, they can remain active all year round.
Reproduction: Cockroaches reproduce quickly. For every one you see there can be 200 more hiding and multiplying behind your walls.
Evasiveness: Because cockroaches are nocturnal, if you’ve seen one, you haven’t seen them all. The few cockroaches you see by day were likely forced out by overcrowding; a possible sign of severe infestation.
Allergies: The dust created by cast-off cockroach skins, dead bodies and droppings can aggravate allergies, especially in sensitive individuals.
Do-it-yourself ineffectiveness: Cockroaches are better at hiding than you are at finding them, and their eggs are naturally protected from insecticides. Without special equipment, materials and know-how, it can be a losing battle.

Rodents

A rodents' instincts make them difficult to control, and they present a serious menace to your home. Here’s what you should know about these pests:

Rats

Difficult to control: Rats are instinctively wary of traps and bait, and colonize in attics, burrows, under concrete and porches, in wall voids, and other hard to reach places.
Disease: Rats can harbor and transmit a number of serious diseases. They can also introduce disease-carrying parasites such as fleas, lice and ticks into your home.

Mice

Access: They invade your home seeking food, water and warmth. One pair of mice can produce 200 offspring in four months.
Contamination: Each mouse can contaminate ten times more food than it eats.