Flick Pest Control

ANTS

Ants are a common nuisance around the home, businesses, restaurants or any food handling establishments. Most people identify ants by their colouring, often red or black, but there are actually almost 1,000 species of ants in the world alone!

One node
• Varies in colour, from black to brown to red
• No stinger
• 1/4 to 1/2 inch long
• Have large mandibles (jaws/pinchers on the head)
• Found throughout the US
• Will build nests in moist, rotting wood. They can sometimes be found in walls indoors and in rotten tree stumps and logs outside.
• Will eat food debris indoors

There are many types of crazy ants, including Caribbean Crazy Ants and Crazy Rasberry Ants. All share the following features

One node
• Vary in color, black to red to brown
• No stinger
• 1/16 to 1/8 inch long
• Very long antennae and legs
• Slender body
• Mostly found in southwest and southeast US
• Move erratically, appear to be confused or lost
• Prefer sweets and insects

Two nodes
• Red with a darker reddish-brown abdomen
• Has stinger, very painful sting
• 1/16 - 1/4 inch long
• Prefer high-protein foods

Two nodes
• Black
• Has stinger
• 1/16 inch, very small (hence the name)
• Found in southern California and parts of Texas and Oklahoma
• Eat sugars, grease, and oils

One node (hard to see, hidden by abdomen)
• Brown or black uniform colour
• No stinger
• 1/8 inch long
• Emits a rotten odour when crushed
• Prefer sweets but will eat high-protein or greasy foods if available

Two nodes
• Light brown or black, legs and antennae are paler than body
• 1/8 inch long
• Has stinger
• Will eat almost anything, including pet food

ROACHES

There are five common major pest species of roaches and they all differ in characteristics.

German Roach
• Oriental Roach
• Brown Banded Roach
• American Roach
• Smoky Brown Roach

These species are a nuisance because they infest homes, businesses and other structures and they are able to spread disease and cause other health issues. Regardless of the species, it is important to be sure you are dealing with roaches and not a beetle infestation as the treatments are very different for these two pests.

Roaches grow in size after they hatch from an oothicae otherwise known as an egg case. Depending on the species, immature roaches can vary from 2mm-5mm. Adult roaches can vary in size from about .25 inch to 2 inches.

Roaches are flat and oval shaped
• Roaches have 6 legs
• Roaches have two antennae, which will vary in length depending on species
• Roaches have wings, though not all roaches will use them to fly
• Roaches can be light tan to dark brown
• Some species have stripes or bands on their backs or heads

RODENTS

House mice have 4 legs
• House mice have large ears for their small heads
• House mice have long nearly hairless tails that are just over half the length of their bodies
• House mice have noticeable whiskers
• House mice are light brown to black with short hair and a light belly
• Rats are one of the most damaging pests; they cause trouble by contaminating food products, nesting and gnawing on structures and by spreading parasites and diseases to humans and domesticated animals. There are two main types of rats that infest structures, roof rats and Norway rats. Both species of rats are highly adaptable and they can be found in a wide range of residential, agricultural and industrial structures and areas.
• Adult rats can live for about 1-3 years. Females can reach breeding age within 2 months but usually start reproducing at around 5-6 months.

Rats have 4 legs
• Rats have short fur
• Rats have tails that vary in length but is generally not hairy
• Rats have beady black eyes
• Rats have two small ears
• Rats can squeeze their way into very small spaces, they do have bones
• Adult rats can live for about 1-3 years. Females can reach breeding age within 2 months but usually start reproducing at around 5-6 months.
• Rats do frequently urinate, seemingly uncontrollably; rats do in fact have bladders.

FLIES

Adult House flies:

House flies have 2 large compound eyes
• House flies have 6 legs
• House flies have 1 set of transparent wings
• House flies have small antenna
• House flies have short hairs on their abdomen

Immature House flies/maggots:

Maggots do not have legs
• Maggots are thinner at one end
• Maggots are shaped like small worms

Adult House flies range in colour from light grey to greyish black and some houseflies have dark stripes in their backs. Immature houseflies or maggots are pale yellow to light cream in colour.

MOSQUITOES

Mosquitoes’ preferred breeding sites are stagnant or standing water, such as the water that is left in basins and bins after a rain shower. One easy step towards controlling mosquitoes is making sure that there is never standing or brackish water around your property. You could say that eliminating these water sources is one natural mosquito repellent you can employ.
• Because mosquitoes are airborne insects, it is recommended to utilize a fog, or other aerosolized product, when you are combatting these bugs.
• Adult mosquitoes range in length from ¼ – 3/8th of an inch; and have a narrow oval shaped body. They are mostly grey in colour with white, silver, green or iridescent blue scales; they have white stripes across their abdomen. Mosquitoes have distinctive long legs and a long proboscis (nose) that the females use to draw blood out of people and pets.
• Mosquitoes bite and feed on the blood of mammals including humans; because they feed on such a wide variety of people and animals, they carry and transmit a wide variety of serious diseases. Diseases that mosquitoes carry and spread include malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, and encephalitis.

BED BUGS

When it comes to Bed Bugs, there is no fix-all, easy solution. Complete control requires a carefully planned and designed integrated approach.
• Bed bugs are attracted to warmth. The number one hiding place for bed bugs is in mattresses and beds. Inspect your sheets for blood spots bed bugs may have left behind. Be sure to thoroughly inspect the seams, tufts, and folds of your mattress in addition to any corners or crevices of your bed.
• Bed bugs also like to linger where humans sit or lay idle for long periods. Couches, recliners, and even office chairs are popular hiding spots for bed bugs. Do not forget to look beneath furniture, where fabric meets the legs of the furniture, and between seat cushions.
• Bed bugs will also hide around the perimeter of a room. The edges of baseboards and carpet should also be inspected.

Residential Pest Control