Termites are insects belonging to order Isoptera are usually called white ants. However apart from their social habit of living in colonies consisting of several forms of castes like (Queen, King, workers, soldiers and reproductives) they do not resemble true ants.
Termites are mostly pale brown to white, have no constriction between thorax and abdomen and have beaded antennae. Reproductive forms have two pair of equal wings and a pair of compound eyes.
Subterranean termites live in colonies in the ground and survive by consuming wood. In urban areas they have been found nesting between floor of buildings, trees and stumps and above the ground too in mounds. They work in a methodical manner, starting with the formation of colonies.
Workers and soldiers are blind, sterile and wingless and have thin cuticles that are sensitive to desiccation in dry or exposed environment and therefore you see the mud tunneling in places where you have infestation. The workers in the colony find a source of wood by burrowing through the ground and making tunnels, they bring back the food to feed other members of the colony.
Life Cycle:
Queen lays eggs in large numbers.
These eggs hatch and the nymphs that emerge are fed by the workers.
By molting several times, the young nymphs differentiate into various castes like workers, soldiers and alates within a period of 2 months to several months depending on various environmental factors and thus the colony expands.
American cockroach the larger species among roaches found in household situation and are commonly found frequenting the drains, sewers, manholes etc. where its moist and dark and has high humidity and decaying organic matters.
Life Cycle:
A). Eggs:
Ootheca is 6-8 mm long and dropped a day after its formed
Each capsule contains 14-16 eggs and in two parallel rows
Egg stage lasts for around 30-45 days
B). Nymphs:
Young nymphs are grayish-brown and will mount 9 to 13 times before reaching adulthood.
Young nymphs are wingless and turn more reddish brown with each molt.
Nymphal to adult stage varies from 6-7 months
C). Adults:
Adults are reddish-brown with a yellow border on the back.
Males have wings extending slightly beyond abdomen and Female till the abdomen
The adults live for almost a year
Male: has both Stylets and Cerci at the end of abdomen
Female: Has broader abdomen than males
Feeding habits and behavior
Feeds on variety of foods but decaying organic matter is preferred over others
Get strongly attracted to fermenting liquids, syrups and sweets
Adult can survive 2-3 months without food but they can live for only one month without water
Adults and nymphs are common around manholes in sewers, dark and moist areas, undersides of chamber lids etc.
DIY (Do it Yourself) pest control can be tempting, but it is important to understand the potential hazards before proceeding. Some of the hazards of DIY pest control include:
Health risks: Pest control products can contain chemicals that are harmful to humans and pets. Improper handling or application of these products can result in exposure, which can cause serious health problems.
Ineffective solutions: Without proper training and experience, it can be difficult to determine the appropriate products and methods to effectively eliminate pests. This can result in ineffective pest control and continued pest problems.
Environmental damage: Some pest control products can have a negative impact on the environment, including harm to beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife.
Unintended consequences: DIY pest control can result in unintended consequences, such as creating new problems or spreading pests to other areas.
Legal consequences: In some states and countries, the use of certain pest control products may be regulated and require a professional license. Using these products without the proper license can result in legal consequences.
In conclusion, while DIY pest control may seem like a cost-effective solution, it is important to consider the potential hazards and risks involved. In most cases, it is safer and more effective to hire a professional pest control service to handle your pest control needs.
Also commonly known as Sugar ant, stink ant and odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile is a species of small ant. Their colonies consist of multiple nests and contain multiple reproducing queens.
These ants can be found in a huge diversity of habitats, including within houses. They forage mainly for honeydew, which is produced by insects like aphids and scales, as well as floral nectar and other sugary foods.
They are common household pests and are attracted to sources of water and sweets
Features:
Brown to black in colour
5 to 3.2mm long
Odour produced on crushing these ants give its common name as coconut ant
Fire ants belong to the genus Solenopsis, which includes over 200 species. These ants are a major urban pest, invading residential areas both indoors and outdoors.
The bodies of mature fire ants are divided into three sections: the head, the thorax and the abdomen, with three pairs of legs and a pair of antennae. In an established nest these different sizes of ants are all present at the same time.
For humans, their sting is a painful one, a sensation similar to what one feels when burned by fire (hence the name)
Features:
Coppery brown head and body of worker fire ants.
Their size varies from 2 to 6 mm. Queen can be as big as 15mm
Fire ants have a dedicated venom-injecting Sting and powerful mandiblesfor biting.
Fruit fly is most commonly found flies infesting fruits inside our homes and other fermenting residues like beer cans, wine glasses, fruit orchards and vegetable markets etc
Life Cycle of fruit fly:
Eggs: Fruitflies Lay about 500 eggs in her life time. Egg hatch within 30 hours.
They are observed wherever you find the drains to be clogged and are often associated with sewage beds where the larvae feeds on sludge like organic matter and also called as drain flies. Moth flies are also found on decaying matter.
Life Cycle of moth fly:
Eggs hatch in 1-6 days
Larvae mature in 15 – 30 days.
Pupae mature in 1 – 3 days.
Adult 2 mm long.
Usually grey to black in colour, has a unique of patter on veins on its wings, covered in tiny hairs and held tent-like over the body when at rest.
This common house fly is a pest found around the world.
Life Cycle: All flies undergo metamorphosis with egg, larval, pupal and adult stages:
Eggs: they are 1mm long and glistening white in colour and are laid on organic material like fermenting vegetation, garbage and on soil. Adult female may lay around 250-500 eggs. Depending on the temperature and other factors eggs hatch in 8hrs to 3 days.
Larva: The larva (also called Maggot) is white, legless and conical in shape at the head end. They burrow into the breeding medium and complete the three Instars (stages of development) in a period of 3 days to weeks depending on the food source and climatic factors. Once the growth in complete they pupate in drier and cooler places.
Pupa: The pupae are observed generally at a depth of 3-30cm and are about 8m long. They are barrel shaped and as they turn from pale yellow to dark reddish brown. Pupal period lasts between 3 to 28 days before emerging as adults
Adults: They are 6-7mm long. They have red eyes and have spongy mouth parts. Female are larger than male. Underside of the male is yellow in colour. Thorax area has four stripes. They have gustatory or tasting organs in the last segment of the legs. Adults are strong fliers and can live for a month.
Spread of Diseases by houseflies
Flies may go directly from garbage, drains, animal excretion to human food, transmitting disease
Some flies bite and can transmit diseases through their bite as well causing irritation
Disease Causing Organisms Carried by Flies
Klebsiella – causative agents of many respiratory and urinary tract infections.
Campylobacter – causative agents for many acute gastroenteritis type complaints.
Streptococci – found in skin and gut infections.
Chlamydia – parasites that cause a variety of complaints
Blue bottle flies are scavengers and are attracted to dead animals and other decaying organic matters like dead rodents/ birds/ animals and can be often observed hovering around fish markets, garbage dumps etc and are known as carriers of diseases. Bluebottle fly body colour is very distinct and similar to coloured bottles so the name.
Life Cycle of bluebottle fly:
Eggs: hatch within -0-8 hours
Larva: Same as the house fly larva but bigger in size
