Flip through the next few pages for a checklist of five of the more common, sinister summer scoundrels that you ll find throughout Arizona!

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Flip through the next few pages for a checklist of five of the more common, sinister summer scoundrels that you ll find throughout Arizona!"

Michael Warren
5 years ago
Views:

From the tundra near Flagstaff and the high mountain forests in the Rockies to the chaparral bordering California and the well-known desert, Arizona is a state of vast variation, home to a wide range

This means that Arizona is also home to a broad variety of creatures and pests.

1 From the tundra near Flagstaff and the high mountain forests in the Rockies to the chaparral bordering California and the well-known desert, Arizona is a state of vast variation, home to a wide range of different habitats and biotic communities. Pest control is unique in Arizona because of its distinct habitats and environmental differentiation. This means that Arizona is also home to a broad variety of creatures and pests. There are a lot of friendly and beneficial creatures found in Arizona, such as the tarantula hawk, a spider wasp that hunts tarantulas as food for its larvae. Another is the Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake, a non-venomous constrictor that consumes bothersome rodents. The Phoenix, Arizona area is also host to quite a few aggravating pests which can be rather frustrating when they ve decided to take refuge in or around your home. In the midst of a mind-melting summer scorcher in Phoenix, some of the more disturbing pests have begun to show their monstrous little faces. Flip through the next few pages for a checklist of five of the more common, sinister summer scoundrels that you ll find throughout Arizona!

2 Harvester Ants The Harvester Ant is one of the most common household pests throughout the US, capable of thriving in almost any habitat. Harvester ants are most commonly found outdoors but can also reside indoors within moist, decaying, or hollow wood. They have a wide diet, feeding on food that people commonly eat and drop on the ground, particularly sweet food and meats, as well as other insects that happen to be in the area. Among the largest ants in the United States 3.4mm to 13mm long Workers have long mandibles Resides outdoors Resides indoors in moist, decaying or hollow wood Feed on variety of food that people eat, particularly sweets and meats Queens lay 9 to 16 eggs first year Queens live up to 25 years Eggs complete a life cycle in 6 to 12 weeks Workers forage for food Swarmers have wings Swarmers indicate a well-established colony Remove nest or treat chemically

Paper Wasps The Paper Wasp has narrow wings and a dark brown wasp with yellow markings and black wings, commonly confused with the yellow jacket bee as a result of its appearance.

3 Paper Wasps The Paper Wasp has narrow wings and a dark brown wasp with yellow markings and black wings, commonly confused with the yellow jacket bee as a result of its appearance. So named for the unique manner in which they construct their nests, paper wasps can be found gathering plant material, saliva, and paper for construction. They re also known as umbrella wasps because of the umbrella-shaped nests that they commonly construct in sheltered areas. 1.9cm to 3.2cm long Narrow body Dark brown with black wings and yellow markings May appear similar to yellow jacket bees Typically no outer nest shell and the cells of the nest are visible, resembling an umbrella AKA umbrella wasps Feed on nectar and pollen Hunt for caterpillars and other insects to nourish larvae Nests include compartments where wasps lay eggs, rear their young Umbrella-shaped nest Found in sheltered areas, door frames, window sills, eaves of house May be dangerous

Palo Verde Borer Beetle The Palo Verde Borer Beetle makes an appearance after the first monsoon rains soak the desert floor for the first time each year.

4 Palo Verde Borer Beetle The Palo Verde Borer Beetle makes an appearance after the first monsoon rains soak the desert floor for the first time each year. As adults, their diet is literally nonexistent. These little creatures will spend years chewing through the roots of Mexican Palo Verde trees to reach the surface, only to die shortly after reaching their goal. Once the surface has been reached, the beetles fly around in search of a mate before their life ends shortly thereafter. Most of their life is spent as a grub, or larva underground, developing into adult beetles before making the trek to the surface. Looks like a large cockroach Long antennae Spines on thorax Range from brown to black Have wings, can fly Feast on the woody tissue of tree roots Adults may take nectar and feed on fruit Female may nest in area where she emerged from larval stage Dies soon after mating Common throughout southwest, especially around Tucson and Phoenix Keep trees healthy with deep, infrequent watering and minimal pruning enable plants to resist attack

Cicada The name Cicada is a direct derivation of the Latin cicada, meaning tree cricket, for the loud and distinct, cricket-like noise that they make.

5 Cicada The name Cicada is a direct derivation of the Latin cicada, meaning tree cricket, for the loud and distinct, cricket-like noise that they make. Once they reach adulthood, cicadas climb to the ground surface, spread their wings and go in search of a mate. Male cicadas are responsible for noisy calls that can be heard up to a mile away as they attempt to attract a partner. After mating, they die. Many North American cicada species have 17-year life cycles, the largest life cycle of any insect. These cicadas spend the first seventeen years of their life underground, only to flourish in swarms when the time is right. 2.2 to 5.5cm long Promonent eyes set wide apart Short antennae protruding between the eyes Membranous wings Herbivore, feasting upon plant matter Life span up to 17 years Queens lay 9 to 16 eggs first year Females lay eggs within a week of emergence Eggs complete a life cycle in 6 to 12 weeks Loud, noisy calls can be heard up to one mile away Wrap netting around important plants Pesticides usually ineffective

Diamondback Rattlesnake The Harvester Ant is one of the most common household pests throughout the US, capable of thriving in almost any habitat.

6 Diamondback Rattlesnake The Harvester Ant is one of the most common household pests throughout the US, capable of thriving in almost any habitat. Harvester ants are most commonly found outdoors but can also reside indoors within moist, decaying, or hollow wood. They have a wide diet, feeding on food that people commonly eat and drop on the ground, particularly sweet food and meats, as well as other insects that happen to be in the area. 3 to 5ft in length Pit viper species, meaning they have ability to sense heat Diet: mice, rabbits, gophers, ground-dwelling birds, lizards, small animals A generalist inhabitant, thriving in most climates Found in deserts, grassy plains, forests, rocky hillsides, coastal areas Live years Breed in spring, giving birth in late summer Listen for the rattle Often spend hot daytime hours coiled in shade Found in low-growing shrubs, piles of debris, rocks Dangerous, be cautious and do not approach For more information on Arizona pests and how to prevent them, please visit our website: Youngerbrothers.com

BEES AND WASPS IDENTIFICATION

BEES AND WASPS IDENTIFICATION BEES AND WASPS Of all insect species, the honey bee is perhaps the most beneficial. There is, of course, honey: about 200 million pounds of it is produced commercially each year. But the honey bee makes