Old-house Borer

Posted by on Apr 29, 2011 in More Pests, Pest Directory, Pests | 0 comments

You need to know…

1. The old-house borer is a species of wood-boring beetle in the family Cerambycidae (longhorn beetles). Contrary to its name, it is more often found in new houses; this is in part because new home construction may use wood infected with the beetle’s eggs.
   
2. Originating in Europe, the old-house borer now has a worldwide distribution, including the Mediterranean, South Africa, Asia, USA and Canada. Recently it has been found in Perth, Australia. In Australia, it is known as the European House Borer.
   
3. Old-house borers prefer seasoned softwoods, and particularly pine. Only the larvae feed on the wood. Larvae take two or three or more years to mature, depending on the moisture content of the wood. Larvae usually mature in the spring, and the mature adults then cut holes 6–10 mm in diameter to exit the wood.
   
4. Adults are most active in the summer. They are black or brown with grayish “hair” on their upper bodies and wing cases. They have shiny spots that resemble eyes.

Field Mouse

Posted by on Apr 15, 2011 in Mice and Rats, Pest Directory, Pests | 0 comments

You need to know…

1. Low on the food chain, these pests reproduce at an alarming rate.
2. They aren’t especially vicious and rely on their size, speed, and own ingenuity to survive.
3. It feasts on whatever it finds.
4. Mice unfortunately are prone to carry disease, usually not plagues, but virulent things all the same.
5. After maybe two weeks of pregnancy the mother births three to five baby mice.

House Mouse

Posted by on Apr 15, 2011 in Mice and Rats, Pest Directory, Pests | 0 comments

You need to know…

1. As a wild animal the house mouse mainly lives associated with humans, causing damage to crops and stored food.
2. House mice have an adult body length (nose to base of tail) of 7.5–10 cm and a tail length of 5–10 cm.
3. House mice consume and contaminate food, pet food and animal feed.
4. Pregnancy period is about 19–21 days, and they give birth to a litter of 3–14 young (average 6–8). One female can have some 5–10 litters per year.

Brown Rat

Posted by on Apr 15, 2011 in Mice and Rats, Pest Directory | 0 comments

You need to know…

1. The Brown Rat’s fur is coarse and usually brown or dark grey, while the underparts are lighter grey or brown.
2. Adult body weight averages 550g.
3. The brown rat is usually active at night and is a good swimmer, both on the surface and underwater, but unlike the related Black Rat, they are poor climbers.
4. The brown rat is a true omnivore and will consume almost anything, but cereals form a substantial part of its diet.
5. They can also serve as a reservoir for Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, though the disease usually spreads from rats to humans when domestic cats feed on infected brown rats.

Woodlice

Posted by on Apr 15, 2011 in Insects in damp conditions, Pest Directory | 0 comments

You need to know…

1. Woodlice need moisture because they rapidly lose water by excretion and through their cuticle, and so are usually found in damp, dark places, such as under rocks and logs.
2. They are usually nocturnal and are detritivores, feeding mostly on dead plant matter, although they have been known to feed on cultivated plants, such as ripening strawberries and tender seedlings.
3. Woodlice may damage young plants.

Springtail

Posted by on Apr 15, 2011 in Insects in damp conditions, Pest Directory | 0 comments

You need to know…

1. Most species have an abdominal, tail-like appendage, that is folded beneath the body to be used for jumping when the animal is threatened.
2. They are normally less than 6 millimeters long, have six or fewer abdominal segments and possess a tubular appendage.
3. Springtails are well known as pests of some agricultural crops.
4. More often, claims of persistent human skin infection by springtails may indicate a neurological problem.