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| Acrobat ants are like carpenter ants in that they prefer to nest in moist or rotted wood. Colonies are most often found in tree holes, dead limbs, stumps and logs. Rotting areas in fences, decks and railings may also be nesting locations. Most infestations of acrobat ants originate from outdoor nests; however, if moist or rotted wood exists inside because of water leaks, this ant will readily nest indoors. Such interior nests are typically found around the perimeter -- in soffits, door frames and skylights. |
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| Allegheny mound ants are found throughout the upper Midwest and northeast U.S. They are typically seen in yards located next to fields or wooded areas. |
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| Argentine ants reside outdoors, usually in shallow nests in the soil beneath a stone, board or any other item that provides protection. Small, medium or large subcolonies will locate themselves in piles of lumber, bricks or debris; in landscape mulch; behind brick and stone veneer; within and under insulation; and in wall voids or any other suitable void. Argentine ants are the most common invaders of homes in Southern California. This ant is also very common in homes throughout most of the Gulf Coast states. |
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| Big-headed ants are soil-nesting ants, most commonly found nesting outdoors beneath stones, logs, and landscape timbers. These ants also are commonly found inside the soil of potted plants, and many inside infestations may be traced to planters. In addition, big-headed ants may be found nesting beneath slab foundations and entering through cracks in the slab. On occasion, these ants will nest inside rotted wood or will excavate old termite-damaged wood to make a nest. |
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| Carpenter ants are the most common pest ant seen in homes throughout the northern United States. The main colony must have a constant source of moisture to survive, so it is usually located in dead wood outside. This includes dead limbs, tree holes, stumps, landscape timbers, and so forth. Indoors, a main colony will have to be associated with a water leak or an overly wet, poorly ventilated crawl space or attic.The main colony may establish satellite colonies that are the primary source of ant activity inside homes.These satellite colonies may be located in any suitable void (e.g., hollow doors, curtain rods, shower rods), under attic insultation, etc.These ants set up trunk trails between the main colony to satellite colonies and between satellite colonies. Foraging ants can most easily be seen along these trunk trails at night when the ants are most active. Sometimes, the trunk trails occur beneath the ground following tree roots. |
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| Citronella ants locate their colonies within the soil under items such as stones, logs and landscape timbers. They also may be found in the soil under mulch next to building foundations, or they may locate colonies in soil underneath slab floors and in crawl spaces. |
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| Blow Fly and Bottle Fly are extremely common and can be found one to a few at a time in homes or businesses during the warm summer months. They are attracted to buildings by food odors and also warm/cool air currents emitting through cracks around doors and windows or through doors propped open for ventilation purposes. The sudden appearance of dozens of blow flies or bottle flies within a building signals a potential dead rodent, bird, or other animal in the wall, ceiling, attic, or crawl space. |
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| Cluster flies are actually parasites of earthworms. The adult flies deposit their eggs in the soil and the larvae seek out and live off of earthworms. |
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| Crane flies breed in wet soil and aquatic environments. Large populations may be seen near buildings in lawns or fields where considerable rainfall has accumulated for a period of time. |
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| Face flies breed primarily in fresh animal manure and so are more common in buildings in rural areas near farms. |
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| Flesh flies are extremely common and can be found one to a few at a time in homes or businesses during the warm summer months. They are attracted to buildings by food odors and also warm/cool air currents emitted through cracks around doors and windows, or through doors propped open for ventilation purposes. The sudden appearance of dozens of flesh flies within a building signals a potential dead rodent, bird or other animal in the wall, ceiling, attic or crawlspace. |
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| Fruit flies eat freshly decaying, moist organic matter that sits undisturbed for five or more days. Usually associated with fresh fruits and vegetables stored at room temperatures. Once inside, adult flies emerging from a piece of infested fruit can find and exploit other potential breeding sites such as poorly maintained trash containers, recycling bins, food kicked underneath tables, coolers, etc., and garbage disposals. They also may be found breeding in dumpsters outside and flying to and entering the building through doorways. The breeding media must be continually moist for the larvae to develop and generally in a fairly fresh state of decay. Any crack or area where organic matter can accumulate can support these flies. |
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| Fungus gnats breed in the soil, in fungi, and any place where suitable molds might grow, e.g., a rotting log. In buildings, they are most often associated with the soil in potted plants and in atriums. When plants are overwatered, molds in the soil are capable of reproducing thus providing a breeding medium for fungus gnats. On occasion, these flies have been found breeding in ceilings and walls where water leaks are present or have occurred, but have not thoroughly dried. Molds thrive in such damp areas and provide a place for fungus gnats (and certain fungus-feeding beetles) to breed. |
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| House flies breeds primarily in fresh animal manure and so is most common on and near farms. Lawns where dog manure is left for days can also become a significant breeding site for house flies. Any building can be plagued by house flies, but those located near farms and pastures are likely to experience more flies than other structures. House flies rarely breed indoors, but if they do, the site is usually a trash container that hasn’t been cleaned for a while or possibly rotting vegetables or fruit in a box in a restaurant storeroom or kitchen. |
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| Moth flies breed in heavily decaying organic matter that remains fairly wet. In fact, this fly can breed in standing water that contains suitable amounts of organic materials, such as drain traps or sump pumps. In commercial kitchens, they are mostly associated with drains and very wet, poorly maintained areas such as underneath dishwasher machines. In homes, restrooms, and similar areas, they are associated with drains. |
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| Phorid flies are capable in breeding in more types of materials than any other structure-infesting flies. In nature, they are typically associated with dead animals and heavily decaying vegetation. In mausoleums, they are known as “coffin flies” because they breed inside bodies stored in the crypts and coffins. In buildings, they may found breeding in drains, trash containers, dumpsters, rotting produce, recycle bins, grease traps, garbage disposals, crawlspaces, and any site where moist organic matter can accumulate for five days or longer. Phorid flies have also been found to breed in poorly stored meats, damaged containers of moist foods, and organic-based glues and paints. |
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