Biting and Stinging Pests Flashcards
What makes stinging social insects more dangerous and more difficult to control?
Their mutual defense of the colony. Anyone who ventures too close to a social bee or wasp colony may experience stings not just from one or a few individuals, but possibly dozens to hundreds.
Unlike most other bees and wasps, ___________ only sting once.
honey bees
__________ nests usually consist of 30,000 or more individuals.
Honey bee
Very aggressive, swarm frequently, store less honey, and more likely to attack in response to nest disturbance.
Africanized honey bees (AHBs)
Nearly identical to AHBs in appearance, but important behavioral differences.
European honey bees
Do not build nests in hollow tree trunks or other cavities.
Bumble bees
Nests are primarily in underground holes or cavaties.
Bumble bees
Solitary bees nest in
underground holes and existing cavaties in wood and other materials
Social wasps are known as
vespids
Yellowjacket wasps, hornets, and paper wasps are
social wasps
Social wasps make paper nests from
chewed-up wood, paper, or cardboard
When do social wasps establish colonies
spring
When do social wasps abandon colonies
when winter approaches
All social wasps are capable of ___________
stinging
Social wasps that build their nests below ground, although above-ground nests also occur
yellowjacket wasps
Often found near trash cans, these wasps are opportunistic and will eat whatever food is available
yellowjacket wasps
Build their nests exclusively above ground and their colonies are usually relatively small containing 300-400 workers
baldfaced hornets
Largest social wasp in North America
European hornet
Relatively small colonies usually containing fewer than 200 workers
paper wasps
What do predator wasps do to their prey?
stings and paralyzes prey, drags it back to nest then an egg is laid on the paralyzed prey, and the resulting larva develops while ingesting it
These solitary predators are large and prefer sand and sandy soil for their nesting sites
cicada killer wasps
Solitary insects that lay their eggs on, or in, other insects or their eggs, which eventually kills them
parasitoid wasps
Not structural pests and do not sting, these insects when found indoors are usually attacking cockroaches or stored product pests, especially moths
parasitoid wasps
These flies use their mandibles to cut painful holes in skin
deer flies, black flies, and biting midges
Known as pool feeders because they mop up pooling blood from the cuts of their hosts
horse flies, deer flies, and black flies
Can transmit tulameria to humans after biting infected hosts
Deer fly
Adults are capable of flying long distances which makes chemical control not very effective
Horse flies and deer flies
No-see-ums and punkies are common names for
tiny biting midges
These mosquitoes prefer to feed at night
Culex
These mosquitoes readily bite during the day or in the evening
Aedes
Most common indoor flea pests in the U.S.
cat flea
Where do fleas lay their eggs?
On hosts, but the eggs quickly fall to the floor or pet beds
Where do flea eggs hatch?
On the floor or pet beds where they fall off host
Where do fleas spend their entire adult life?
On single host, unless groomed off
Why is vacuuming beneficial with a flea infestation?
Removes flea excrement and can remove up to 30% of flea larvae and 60% of flea eggs in carpet
An unemerged adult flea can remain inactive in the cocoon for how long under adverse conditions or when hosts are absent?
4-5 months
Unemerged adult fleas will respond to what type of stimuli?
Increased warmth, CO2, or vibrations
Active flea infestation treatment?
IGRs combined with short-lived adulticides with a 7-10 day follow up with adulticide, if needed for fleas emerging from pupal stage
Blood-feeding external parasites with a preference for feeding on humans
bed bugs
Signs of a bed bug infestation?
Molted exoskeletons, fecal stains on mattresses, eggs, and live or dead bed bugs
What stages of bed bugs feed on blood?
Nymphs and adults
Bed bugs nymphs go through five instars and require what before each molt?
a boodmeal
Adult female bed bugs require what before laying eggs?
a bloodmeal
One of the most important aspects of bed bug control
monitoring
Proven especially useful for bed bug monitoring programs?
Pitfall traps
Bed bug management is most effective when using
an integrated approach (monitoring, sanitation, bed and mattress encasements, foot barriers on bed, residual insecticides having two or more modes of action, and various forms of heat treatment)
Hairs are longer and more noticeable on bed bugs or bat bugs?
Bat bugs
In addition to bat bugs, what other bugs are in the same family and may also be mistaken?
Bird bugs
These bugs may occasionally bite humans, but require their own special hosts to survive for longer periods of time and to reproduce?
Bat bugs and bird bugs
Capable of delivering painful bites, these hemipterans are beneficial predators that mainly feed on other insects?
Assassin bugs
Also classified as assassin bugs, these bugs feed exclusively on the blood of vertebrates, including humans
Conenose bugs
Nocturnal and may bite people while they sleep, these bugs may bite people on their face since it is exposed giving them the nickname
“Kissing bugs” aka Conenose bugs
Capable of transmitting a parasite in their feces which causes Chagas disease aka American trypanosomiasis
Conenose bugs
Small, wingless insects in the order Phthiraptera
lice
Head lice cannot live for more than __________ off of their human hosts
two days
Spiders can be classified in what three types of hunting behaviors?
Passive hunters, active hunters, and web builders