Pest control in Saint Paul MN, and other insects can cause damage to your home, especially if they aren’t caught in time.
During the winter, many insects take a break from their normal activities and stay in hiding. This is the best time to get a maintenance treatment to keep your house pest-free all year long!
Ants
Ants are one of the most common insects encountered by humans. They are part of the order Hymenoptera (which includes wasps and bees) and are social insects that live in colonies.
In a colony, ants form different castes that share a number of duties such as laying eggs, rearing young, feeding and protecting the nest. They can range in size from a few to tens of thousands.
Some ants communicate with smell and touch, while others use complicated chemical signals to relay information. When ants find a food source they leave a chemical trail that lets their nestmates know where to go to get it.
Most ants feed on nectar, seeds and fungus, but some species have diets that are more unusual. For example, one Amazon species builds elaborate traps of plant fiber with many openings that it uses to capture prey like reptiles and birds. These ants are very aggressive and will sting their predators.
Wasps & Hornets
We all know wasps and hornets are stinging pests, so you should always take precaution when it comes to protecting yourself from them. They can cause a number of health problems, including respiratory and cardiovascular issues, as well as severe allergic reactions.
To make sure you’re not stung by these insects, avoid attracting them to your property in the first place. This includes ensuring that your home is free of broken siding, rodent holes and other areas where they can nest.
Hornets tend to be larger than wasps, and they build nests out of wood pulp that hangs from tree limbs and the eaves of your house. They are very aggressive and will sting repeatedly to protect their nests.
There are several different types of hornets, including the European hornet and the Asian giant hornet. If you see a hornet around your home, call a professional pest control company to come and get rid of them right away.
Rodents
Rodents are mammals whose order, Rodentia, comprises about 40% of all mammal species. They are omnivores, feeding on both plant and animal material, and they have powerful jaws for gnawing.
They live in almost all terrestrial environments, from cold tundra to hot deserts. Some, such as North American beavers, construct their own habitats and build dams.
These animals have evolved to adapt to extreme conditions and are a fascinating group of organisms to study in terms of evolution. Fellow Dr David Thybert, a scientist at Earlham Institute, has studied them and is very interested in how they’ve evolved.
Some of the more common species include rats, mice, squirrels, beavers and hamsters. Some also have a beneficial role in the ecosystem such as prairie dogs, who burrow through the ground to live in the grasses of North America. They eat primarily roots, shoots, seeds, buds and fruits of plants. They are social and are often found in groups.
Mosquitoes
When mosquitoes bite, they pierce your skin with a long mouthpart called the proboscis. The mosquito then sucks your blood and secretes saliva into your bloodstream.
The female mosquito needs blood to produce eggs for her young. So she bites people and animals.
Various clues help mosquitoes find hosts, including the scent of body oils. They also detect carbon dioxide exhaled by their target.
Mosquitoes are able to sense these chemicals and many others by using their antennae, which are long feather-like organs that extend beyond the head.
They are also sensitive to the lactic acid produced by the body during perspiration and can easily spot and detect people who are rubbing their faces, noses, and mouths.
Some types of mosquitoes prefer to breed in permanent water, such as swamps and marshes. Others prefer temporary pools of water, such as children’s swimming pools, birdbaths and the insides of tires.