INSECTS

Appearance

• Adults are grey to black, with four dark, longitudinal lines on the thorax, slightly hairy bodies, and a single pair of membranous wings.
• They have red eyes, set farther apart in the slightly larger female
• Adult houseflies are usually 6 to 7 mm (1⁄4 to 9⁄32 in) long with a wingspan of 13 to 15 mm.

Habitat

• Adult houseflies are diurnal and rest at night.
• If inside a building after dark, they tend to congregate on ceilings, beams, and overhead wires, while out of doors, they crawl into foliage or long grass, or rest in shrubs and trees or on wires.
• In cooler climates, some houseflies hibernate in winter, choosing to do so in cracks and crevices, gaps in woodwork, and the folds of curtains.
• Houseflies can fly for several kilometres from their breeding places, carrying a wide variety of organisms on their hairs, mouthparts, vomitus, and faeces.

Lifecycle

• Each female housefly can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime, in several batches of about 75 to 150.
• The eggs are white and are about 1.2 mm (1⁄16 in) in length.
• Male houseflies are sexually mature after 16 hours and females after 24.
• Adult flies normally live for two to four weeks but can hibernate during the winter.

Appearance

• Fruit flies are yellow brown, with brick-red eyes and transverse black rings across the abdomen.
• They exhibit sexual dimorphism; females are about 2.5 mm (0.10 in) long; males are slightly smaller with darker backs.
• Males are easily distinguished from females based on colour differences, with a distinct black patch at the abdomen.

Habitat

• Fruit flies are common in homes, restaurants, supermarkets and wherever else food is allowed to rot and ferment.
• Fruit flies are especially attracted to ripened fruits and vegetables in the kitchen. But they also will breed in drains, empty bottles and cans, bins, mops and cleaning rags.
• Infestations can originate from over-ripened fruits or vegetables that were previously infested and brought into the home.

Lifecycle

• The reproductive  potential of fruit flies is enormous; given the opportunity, they will lay      about 500 eggs.
• Fruit flies lay their eggs near the surface of fermenting foods or other moist, organic materials.
• The entire lifecycle from egg to adult can be completed in about a week 

Appearance

• 2-3mm long, wingless
• Body very flattened from side-to-side with well-developed spines and jumping legs
• Red to brown in colour

Habitat

• Those commonly found in the home are the cat flea, dog flea, bird flea and  occasionally, although very rarely, the human flea
• Whilst showing a certain degree of host preference, they will feed on other animals in the absence of the normal host
• Normally introduced to a premise via domestic pets, such as cats and dogs

Lifecycle

• Female will lay several hundred eggs, which are 0.5mm long, in batches of 4 to 8
• Larvae feed on organic matter and on the partly digested blood excreted by adult fleas.
• This pest species undergoes a complete metamorphosis
• Adult fleas do not immediately emerge from the cocoon but may be stimulated to do so by the presence of a nearby host

Appearance

• Adult  workers measure approx. 12-17mm from head to abdomen whereas the queen      measures in at approx. 20mm
• Has aposematic colouring of black and yellow
• Has a sting capable of delivering a sting a person or object it deems to be life threatening,      multiple times.

Habitat

• Nests can often be found in the eaves of buildings, within attic areas and also  within the wall cavities of properties
• Wasps often use air bricks and vent weep holes to access the wall cavities, removal of nests if this is the case is not always possible, however once treated it is best practice to carry out correct proofing
• Use pulped wood to construct the nests throughout the year as the colony grows internally as does the nest.
• Requires sugar to gain energy, which they obtain from nectar or fruits.

Life cycle

• Queen lays egg in a wax cell, the worker wasps feed the hatched larvae
• Larva reaches full growth, and the worker wasps seal the cell
• The larva become a pupa and when fully grown the adult wasp leaves the cell
• The life cycle of a wasp colony begins in early spring with a new queen wasp and ends in winter with the death of the colony’s queen.

Appearance 

• Workers approx. 3-5mm, Queens approx. 9mm in length
• Dark Brown to black ion colour
• Waste (pedicel) with one small segment
• 
  

Habitat

• Live in colonies founded by a single, fertile female or queen
• Nests are built in or on buildings, bridges, ledges or hollows such as gutters. Grass, twigs, feathers and scraps such as pieces of wire are used in their usually flimsy nests
• Prefers to feed on sweet foods, such as jams, sugar and honey whilst also collecting seeds and nectar and feed on “honeydew” from aphids
• Nests are normally located in soil (often under paving stones). Under building foundations and within filled wall cavities

Lifecycle

• Only one queen per nest
• Swarming takes place, usually in late summer, when winged males and females (flying ants) leave the nest and take part in the nuptial flight
• Lay pheromone (scent) trails which are then followed by other worker ants to food sources

 Appearance

• Workers approx. 2mm in length
• Light yellow to reddish brown in colour
• Non-functional stinger used to generate pheromones

Habitat

• Multiple queens, when treated incorrectly, the nest will fragment, with queens being taken in different locations to establish their own nest, resulting in multiple nests to treat and a much larger problem. Professional identification and treatment is strongly recommended for this pest species
• Nests  are built in hollow spaces (often behind stoves and hot water pipes) and are usually inaccessible
• Prefers to feed on protein foods, such as meat, nuts, cheese and blood (a common pest found in hospital operating theatres)

Lifecycle

• Multiple queens per nest
• Pharaohs ant queens have wings, but rarely fly. New colonies are formed when workers from the parent nest re-locate to a destination nearby
• Lay pheromone (scent) trails which are then followed by other worker ants to food sources

Appearance

• Adults are 8–10 mm in length with 16–20 mm wingspans
• The distal two thirds of their forewings are generally reddish brown in colour with a copper lustre. They can also be bronze or dark grey.
• The eggs of the Indian-meal moth are white, ovate, and small and often hard to see with the naked eye.

Habitat

• They are a common grain-feeding pest found around the world, consuming cereals, fruits, and similar products
• The larvae of this species have the ability to bite through plastic and cardboard so even sealed containers may be infested.
• It is often found at food storage facilities worldwide, specifically in grain bins or grain storage buildings.
• Indian-meal moths feed on plants, grains, and other human food products.

Life cycle

• Usually the life cycle of an Indian-meal moth colony starts in a location where grain is present.
• The eggs of the moth are  greyish white and have a length around 0.4mm.
• Larvae begin to hatch in approximately two to fourteen days.
• The adults emerge in four to ten days. They then mate and the cycle begins again.

Appearance

• Common Clothes moth is a small moth of approx. 6-7mm
• It is distinguished from similar species by its yellow-brown or ochreous colouring and red-orange tuft of hair on the head.
• It is important to focus on the clothes moth larva because it is the larvae of the moths that cause the damage to natural fibres.

Habitat

• This species is notorious for feeding on clothing and natural fibres; they can digest keratin protein in wool and silk
• Both adults and larvae prefer low light conditions.
• Handmade rugs are a favourite, because it is easy for the larvae to crawl underneath and do their damage from below.
• They will also crawl under mouldings at the edges of rooms in search of  darkened areas where fibrous debris has gathered.

Life cycle

• Females lay eggs in clusters of between 30 and 200 which adhere to surfaces with a gelatine-like glue.
• After pupation is complete, the adult moths emerge and begin searching for mates.
• Life cycle may be completed within one month under favourable conditions.

Appearance

• Most mites are tiny, less than 1 mm (0.04 in) in length, and have a simple, unsegmented body plan
• They are translucent white until they have digested a blood meal.

After which they turn a reddish brown colour.

Habitat

• Bird mites are usually found near the nesting areas of pigeons and other birds but may enter the home in search of a new food source once their existing one is depleted. 
• Bird mites are drawn to warm and moist conditions.
• In the home, they are often found around windows and at ceiling junctions, or in bedding, in search of a blood meal.

Lifecycle

• The life cycle of a bird mite comprises of four stages: egg, larvae, nymph, adult.
• They mature from eggs to adults within a week.
• Adults live for approximately 90 days.