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The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial (pouched mammal) native to the United States. It is found along the west coast and east of the Rocky Mountains. Even though it doesn’t survive well in extreme cold, its range has extended into parts of southern Canada, most likely due to the availability of shelter from man-made structures. Although the words “opossum” and “possum” are used interchangeably, opossums are found in the Americas while possums refer to unrelated marsupials native to Australia.
Virginia opossums have a prehensile (grasping) tail and opposable thumbs on their hind feet, features that allow them to climb very well. They are active at night and will hunt small animals, eat plants and fruit, or scavenge pet food and garbage. Instead of creating their own dens, they take advantage of abandoned burrows or voids in trees or buildings. Opossums should not be allowed onto properties because they are commonly infested with cat fleas
Blacklegged ticks are also known as deer ticks because the white-tailed deer is the main host of their adult reproductive stage. The blacklegged tick is widely distributed across the eastern United States and has been expanding into southeastern Canada. The western blacklegged tick occurs along the U.S. Pacific coast into southern British Columbia. Both blacklegged ticks are vectors of Lyme disease.
Most Lyme disease cases are reported from the Upper Midwest and northeastern states and their bordering areas of Canada. In these areas, immature blacklegged ticks prefer to feed on white-footed mice, the primary reservoir for Lyme disease. Western blacklegged ticks and blacklegged ticks in southern states feed as immatures on other small animals as well that may not be Lyme disease reservoirs or are not as abundant as white-footed mice.
Two mice belonging to the genus Peromyscus are collectively called “field” mice in pest management. The deer mouse occurs in most of Canada and the United States (except the southeastern states). The white-footed mouse overlaps the deer mouse in the eastern and central U.S. and extends into the southeast. Both have large eyes and are sharply bicolored with white along the bottom of their bodies. While they may be difficult to tell apart from each other, they look different from house mice, which have smaller eyes and are more uniform in color.
Deer and white-footed mice are semi-commensal, meaning they aren’t dependent on people for food and harborage but will take advantage of human resources when available. They’re often found in structures in wooded suburban or rural areas where they’ll nest in attics, garages, sheds, and barns. Deer and white-footed mice should be managed in these settings because they vector hantaviruses in their urine and
The Oriental rat flea is a primary vector of two human bacterial diseases, plague, and murine typhus. Although it is also known as the tropical rat flea, it is found in subtropical and temperate areas, especially in major cities. Studies have found Oriental rat fleas on Norway rats in Los Angeles (2007) and New York City (2015), although they were not infected with the bacteria that cause plague or murine typhus.
The plague was introduced to U.S. port cities from rat-infested ships in the late 1890s. It became established on the Pacific Coast where the last U.S. outbreak of rat-associated plague happened in Los Angeles in 1925. Since then, the plague spread east from urban to wild rodents and current cases tend to occur in the rural West. Norway and roof rats are reservoirs for murine typhus, which tends to occur in coastal urban areas with large rat populations.
Two house mosquitoes are present in the United States: the northern house mosquito and the southern house mosquito. The northern house mosquito was introduced from North Africa and is present across the northern US; the southern house mosquito was introduced from Southeast Asia as is present across the southern US. There is a hybrid zone where these mosquitoes meet and are able to produce viable offspring, indicating they are probably subspecies instead of two separate species.
House mosquitoes can vector the West Nile virus (and other diseases that may cause encephalitis) from birds to humans and horses. They are more likely to vector these diseases in urban areas because of their preference for living and breeding near humans. Since house mosquitoes overwinter as adults, they are often found in structures during cold temperatures. Females may bite when indoor heating or the weather becomes warm enough. Although they will breed anywhere water is allowed to accumulate, they
The fruit fly originated in tropical African rainforests and spread to all the major continents by ship transport. It was first reported in New York State in 1875. By 1915, it was reported from California and was common throughout northern America in 1920. The fruit fly is an effective colonizer due to its short life cycle, high offspring production and its ability to fly several miles per day. It is a frequent pest in food-handling establishments.
Fruit flies are commensal, meaning they strongly associate with people and are highly dependent on human activity. They are able to use a wide variety of food sources if they contain yeasts from
The West Indian drywood termite is the most widely and frequently introduced termite in the world. Although called West Indian, they are not native to the West Indies, but to the Pacific coastal deserts of southern Peru and northern Chile. In the United States, the West Indian drywood termite is common throughout Hawaii and Florida. In Florida, it is the most common drywood termite infesting structures. Heavy infestations also occur in coastal areas of southeastern and Gulf states. For example, New Orleans, Louisiana and Galveston, and Corpus Christi, Texas are major port cities where West Indian drywood termite infestations are common.
The West Indian drywood termite is introduced to new areas in infested wooden ships and goods. Compared to other drywood termite species, it is more inclined to infest smaller furniture items and is almost exclusively found in structural infestations, not outdoors in natural settings. It is sometimes called a powderpost termite because the
The house sparrow is the most common wild bird in the world. Originally from the Middle East, it spread to Asia, Europe, and North Africa following agriculture and was deliberately introduced to other places in the world. In North America, eight pairs were released in Brooklyn, NY in 1851. By 1910, house sparrows were established in California.
House sparrows are very successful because they like to live close to people, whether in cities or in agriculture. They nest in cavities and take advantage of structural holes, overhangs, and signs. Seeds are the majority of their diet along with some insects. Breeding males have a black beak, throat, and chest while females and juveniles are more camouflaged. Although house sparrows are social with each other, they are aggressive towards other bird species and will displace them from nesting holes and food sources.
Like the Norway rat, the roof rat is an Old World rat native to Asia, specifically the forests of Southeast Asia. It also spread west through human migration, but it arrived in Europe and North America earlier than the Norway rat. Once the more aggressive Norway rat reached the United States, roof rats began to decline. Whereas Norway rats are found in every state, roof rats tend to dominate in coastal cities or along waterways in warmer climates. Although they generally don’t occur more than 100 miles inland, they may be transported inland and establish local infestations.
As their name implies, roof rats are arboreal and are more likely to infest higher structural areas, such as attics, soffits, drop ceilings and upper wall voids. They do very well in neighborhoods with mature landscaping - especially if it includes fruit and nut trees - and easily travel along fences, through trees, on utility lines and rooftops. Roof rats are able to rely on natural food sources
Raccoons in general are New World animals. Of the three raccoon species that exist, the common raccoon is the largest and most widely distributed. It is native to North and Central America from southern Canada down to Panama. Originally from the tropics, the common raccoon is one of a few larger animals whose range increased along with human settlement. They have been introduced outside of their native range into Europe and Japan where they have become invasive.
Raccoons are omnivorous and highly adaptable to different environments. They are intelligent animals that are able to creatively solve problems and have dexterous hands that can open and manipulate objects. They can be persistent and destructive when trying to gain access to food or structures. Raccoons also vector rabies, mainly along the East Coast and up into Ontario, and host raccoon roundworm. Roundworm eggs excreted in raccoon feces contaminate underlying surfaces and are usually ingested by young children. The