Exopest Jamaica - Common Pests

General Information

Pests are considered any living organism that invades an area causing destruction to plants, structures, other animals and humans. Pests tend to be identified within a regional or cultural context. Some animals that are considered pests in some areas may be domesticated and even eaten in others. Most pests share the ability to affect chosen habitats easily because of their large populations and propensity to inflict damage.

Extensive travel has caused more rigid control of the movement of animals as some domesticated animals in one region can cause catastrophic damage in others. An example of this occurred when the European rabbit was introduced to Australia. While the common rabbit was harmless in its own habitat, it caused significant ecological destruction after it bred too quickly and began overeating vegetation. The term pest is not actually limited to animals, some plant species are deemed plant pests.

Some pests may cause structural damage like termites, while other pests may be more harmful to the health of humans and other animals, like mosquitoes, fleas, mice, ticks and rats which are disease carriers. Pests can be used interchangeably with the term vermin, however the latter is used to specifically describe animals that are vectors of diseases.

Common pests found throughout the globe include: pigeons and seagulls which carry disease; crows which eat crops; mice (house mouse and deer mouse); rabbits when introduced to foreign ecosystems; rats (commonly the roof rat and norway rat which spread disease and cause structural damage), vampire bats which suck the blood of livestock; caterpillars which may damage crops; Ants which invade homes in swarms; cockroaches which can cause serious health concerns; flies; wasps; lice; fleas; bed bugs; mosquitoes which spread many fatal diseases; weevils and some species of moths.

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More About Ants

Life Cycle - Ants have four specific stages within their life cycle. They go through the egg, larvae, pupae then adult stage. This process may take weeks to months to complete and largely depends on the species and certain environmental factors. Once an ant mates, the female becomes a queen ant and lays her eggs. These small oval translucent eggs will be placed within the confines of a nest. Once it gets to the larvae stage the adults spend much of their time feeding it until it molts and sheds it skin and then enters the pupal stage, where it remains until achieving adulthood.

Colony - Ants are separated into three castes. These are the queens, workers and males (drones). Queens are the fertile ants within the colony and are responsible for laying eggs. Worker ants are females that do not reproduce but are in charge of caring for the larvae, maintaining the nest and defence. Male ants have wings but do not carry out any other functions outside of mating during the swarming process.

Getting Rid of Ants - Ants are particularly robust pests. Their colonies can last as long as 15 years with each worker ant living as long as 7 years and the queen 15 years. Each colony houses as much as 500,000 ants at any given period. Ants retain the ability to quickly move their colonies when threatened or in times of impending disasters. It is difficult to properly get rid of ants on your own. Do it yourself home remedies often kills ants you see not entire colonies. Additionally different ants respond to different treatments.

Reduce Mosquitoes In Your Home

Empty open containers of water
Avoid storing tires and keep flower pots and buckets free of standing water
Cover water storage containers
Use repllent to avoid bites

Apply larvicide to containers that may house non-drinking water
Install screen meshes on doors and windows
Use mosquito nets on cribs or beds at night when they are prevalent
Have your home fogged occasionally, to reduce their population

Other Common Pests

Ticks - Ticks are small insects of the arachnid family. These parasitic creatures feed on the blood of host animals and can be found directly on the skin of infected hosts. They transmit a number of diseases including lyme disease, Colorado tick fever, Tularemia, Relapsing fever and Ehrlichiosis. They are found throughout the globe but prefer warmer, humid climates that are ideal for metamorphosis into adulthood. They are a particular nuisance for pet owners and require recurrent treatments to control their large populations.

Fleas - Fleas like ticks are blood sucking parasites that are prevalent on livestock, pets and other hairy or feathered animals. Their compact hard bodies allow easy movement throughout hairs and feathers and help to reduce the risk of them being easily scratched off the skin or killed. Fleas are vectors of disease that may also affect humans. Effective treatment is important to reduce their populations especially in homes with pets.

Stored Pests - Weevils - Weevils are members of the beetle (Curculionoidea) family and are very small about 6mm - 10mm at peak adulthood. There are more than 60,000 species of weevils many of which are considered pests because of their capacity to destroy crops and grains. The rice weevil is commonly found in Jamaica and is a prevalent problem in areas where these goods are stored. Preventing or treating for these pest periodically is recommended to reduce their populations.

Stored Pests - Indian Meal Moth - The Indian Meal Moth (Plodiainterpunctella) is a very common household pest that feeds on grain, cereal, flour, powdered milk, pet food, cornmeal among other dry foods. They can enter the home through packaged goods, or they may fly in through openings like windows and doors. They can be eliminated with cyclical treatments that help to curtail the risk of infestation.

Stored Pests - Cigarette Beatle - Cigarette Beatles (Lasiodermaserricorne ) are common stored pests that are 2-3 mm in length, light brown and hard to see with the naked eye. They are able to fly and prefer to travel during periods of low light. They are often found in rice, ginger, raisins, pepper, dates, seeds, spices, dried flowers and other dried botanicals. Treatment for these pests is very precise and requires a high level of accuracy to ensure the elimination of their populations within storage areas.

Stored Pests - Sawtoothed Grain Beetle - The Sawtoothed Grain Beatle (Oryzaephilussurinamensis) is typically 2.5 -3 mm in length and commonly infests foods like cereals, pasta, flour, meal, nuts, cracked seeds, and seed dust. These pests breed rapidly and can infest an entire pantry quickly. To reduce the risk of infestation remove all items that have been infested and clean the area thoroughly. To prevent further infestations application of insecticides must be done with precision to avoid re-entry of the pest.

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