Carpenter Ant

In the Pacific Northwest the common species is camponotus modoc. The workers vary in size from about 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch in length. Winged swarmers are quite large being about an inch or so long. They are normally shiny, jet black in color with some variations of reddish brown. This species does substantial structural damage when they infest a home. They don't eat the wood but hollow it out for nesting purposes. When these ants are seen in or around a structure it is definitely time to call a professional. These ants are primarily nocturnal and feed actively from sunset to sunrise on other insects and plant foods. The main colony with the queen is usually found in trees, stumps, railroad ties, etc. and nests found in homes are satellites of this primary colony nest. Workers will forage 100 yards or more from these primary and satellite nests for food and water sources. They are attracted to decaying wood, but will readily infest sound wood as well to suit their needs.

Pharaoh Ant

There are many different species of small ants in the Pacific Northwest with a few that require special treatment, such as Pharaoh ants. When they infest your home they are mostly after water, grease or sugars to take back to their nests. They are usually small brown, reddish or gray/black in color and follow distinct trails to and from food/water sources and their colonies. Fortunately in Oregon, we don't have a problem with the Fire ants but we do have a species of Moisture ants that can be a lot more than a nuisance in homes. These ants will carry water with them to promote the growth of wood decay fungus (the fungi that cause dryrot) which they farm and feed upon. Small ants will nest in wall voids, under floors, carpets and cabinets as well as under slabs, sidewalks, patios and crawl areas under homes and structures. An aggressive baiting program along with perimeter spray treatment is an effective way of eliminating these pests from your home and controlling their numbers outdoors.

Pacific Coast Subterranean termite

Pacific Coast Subterranean termites (reticulitermes hesperus) are the most common species found in the Northwest. These termites live underground and build shelter tubes up to the wood sources they feed on. These tubes are made up of a brown mudlike material and are normally a pencil diameter in size and can be found going up foundation walls, water/sewer pipes and drains and even free standing from the ground right up to the subfloor of a home or building. They are commonly found coming up through cracks in concrete slabs behind water heaters, furnaces and refrigerators and in the wooden expansion joints in slabs. The workers and soldiers are a creamy white in color and resemble fly maggots and range from 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch in length. Their colonies can number in the millions of individuals and structural damage can be quite extensive as a result. The reproductive swarmers of this species resemble small, black flying ants and are commonly mistaken for ants. They usually emerge in the late summer or fall. If you discover mud tubes or see the swarmers in your home, try not to disturb or break off the tubes and call a professional to inspect your home and recommend a proper treatment to eliminate them.

Dampwood Termite

Dampwood termites ( zootermopsis angusticollis) are the second most common termite in the Northwest. These are relatively large termites and range in size up to an inch long. They are a creamy white to amber colored insect and feed primarily on wet, rotting wood. They will infest a structure that has plumbing or roof leaks with wood decay and will destroy the rotting wood along with a considerable amount of the surrounding sound wood. Swarmers are dark amber colored and are commonly seen flying around bright lights in the late summer and early fall when they emerge. Eradication of these termites is accomplished by correcting the excessive moisture condition and replacing the damaged wood.

House Mouse
 

Norway Rat

Roof Rat

The House Mouse, Norway Rat, and Roof Rat are the three main problem commensal rodents in the Pacific Northwest. Mice and Norway rats in particular regularly infest homes and buildings and are both capable of living almost anywhere. They can carry serious diseases such as Plague, Murine Typhus, Salmonella poisoning, Typhoid, Dysentery. One species, the Deer Mouse, is a known carrier of Hantavirus. Rodents are also a danger to homes and businesses causing fires, flooding and computer and phone system failures due to their constant gnawing on electrical wiring and pipes. They cause damage to doors, walls, cabinets and other parts of buildings with their burrowing and gnawing activities. Literally tons of food are destroyed or contaminated by their urine, feces and feeding habits.

Mice are small and slender, weighing only a few ounces, usually light to dark gray fur on their bodies and tails with large ears. Deer mice are similar in size and are a reddish brown color on top with white under belles and a two tone tail, white on the end. They live in semi-rural to rural areas common to farmland and forests.

Rats carry the same diseases and cause the same kinds of damage as mice, but on a much larger scale. They are similar to mice when young, but much bigger as adults weighing around 12 ounces or more. Rats are generally reddish brown in color and greasy looking as they seldom groom themselves and their tales are bare. They have a blunt nose and small ears and their droppings are black and larger than mice droppings. Rats will consume almost anything edible and are notorious for raiding pet food and water left outdoors. Bird feeders can be a problem as well. Rats and mice both love seeds and grains. Rats and mice multiply rapidly and their population can get out of control in a short period of time. Because of the health risks alone, a rodent problem should be dealt with quickly. A program involving baiting and the use of different traps is very effective in eliminating the problem indoors while the owner closes off any access points used by the rodents to get in.

Honey Bee


Yellow Jacket


Bald Face Hornet


Carpenter Bee


Bumble Bee

Bees and wasps are among the most beneficial of insects as they eat many other insect pests and pollinate flowering plants and trees. They become a pest problem themselves when they choose to nest in and around our homes and businesses.

Honey Bees (apis mellifera) are easily recognizable by their orange/brown color and are about 1/2 inch in size. They are often seen with their legs laden with bright colored pollen. Honey bees are not aggressive by nature but will defend themselves if provoked or the hive is disturbed. Honey bees can only sting once, but the stinger sends off pheromones that alarm other bees nearby.

Yellow Jackets (vespula spp.) are fairly large ranging from 3/8 inch to 5/8 inches in size and are banded with yellow and black markings. Several different species live in the Pacific Northwest from the more docile aerial nesters to the very aggressive ground nesters. Yellow jackets are capable of biting and stinging repeatedly and are quite painful. If a nest is disturbed they will swarm and attack the intruder. They can be life threatening to persons hypersensitive to their stings.

Bald Face Hornets (vespula maculata) are similar in body size and appearance to yellow jackets with the exception of the markings being mostly black with distinct white facial markings. They will nest mainly in shrubs, bushes and trees and defend their nesting area ferociously. Hornets are also capable of multiple bites and stings and will swarm on intruders.

Carpenter Bees (xylocopa spp.) are less commonly seen than the other bees and wasps but can be a problem nonetheless. They have a nesting habit of boring galleries into unpainted wood to rear their young. They are big, black, shiny bees around 1/2 inch to 1 inch in length. The males are not able to sting but will put up quite a display to try and scare you off. The females carry a potent sting though rarely used. Carpenter bees are solitary and do not live in colonies.

Bumble Bees (apidae) are slightly larger than honey bees at a little over 1/2 inch or so and are usually fuzzy black with yellowish markings. They like to nest underground and are not particularly aggressive unless their nest area is disturbed. They sting once and only as a defensive reaction.

Big Brown Bat

The two most common are the Big Brown Bat (eptesicus fuscus) and the Little Brown Bat (myotis lucifigus). Both feed primarily on insects at night thus making them quite beneficial to man. They are not aggressive and do not attack people as many myths tell of. Though they can see just fine, they find their prey by echolocation much like a submarines sonar. Bats become a problem pest when they choose to roost in homes, barns, garages and other buildings. Bats have been known to carry rabies and diseases associated with their droppings make them a serious health risk in a dwelling. The best way to handle a bat problem is by having a professional trap and release them elsewhere and then batproof the building and roosting areas with netting and other means of closing off access points.

Pigeon

Pigeons, commonly known as Rock Doves (columba livia) they are generally gray in color with markings in variations of black, tan and white patterns. Flocks of several hundred will fly and roost together, preferring large, high buildings and structures. Occasionally smaller flocks will choose houses to roost on and nest in. They feed on garbage, grains and food given to them intentionally by people. Most work is done on commercial structures in controlling pigeons as a nuisance pest. Many methods from attaching bird netting to using sound devices are used to exclude them from a building or area. Cleaning out their nests is also important to discourage them from further attraction to the area. This clean up also prevents the attraction of other insects or the spread of diseases from the droppings.