The past two years, I have been asked to note the overall activity of pests around the country. I have accomplished that task by interviewing a number of professionals around the country, many of whom work with me at Terminix.
This year, I tried a different approach by asking professionals to complete a survey form I developed to standardize the data-gathering process. The data is not scientific in that much of the information is subjective — i.e., it is based on each person’s observations or experience. In all, the surveys revealed what one would expect: the key pests in a region of the U.S. remain fairly standard from year to year. Included, however, are instances where a not-so-common pest exhibited unusually high activity. General weather conditions are also noted where these were out of the norm and how that factor may have affected pest activity.
Regions of the country represented by respondents include New England, the Atlantic Seaboard, Central Pennsylvania, Northern Ohio, Kentucky, Memphis/Midsouth, the Gulf Coast, Texas, Northern California and Southern California.
MOST WANTED LISTS. Each respondent was asked to list the top five pests in his or her area both for 2000 and 2001. Most of the time, these two lists were identical, although a few surprises did make the list in 2001 that were not there the previous year.
For example, in New Jersey, 2001 was a big year for springtails while in Southeast Texas, scorpions came in at No. 3. Spiders replaced cluster flies at No. 5 in Ohio and psocids were No. 5 in 2001 in Petaluma, Calif.
Not surprisingly, ants of one species or another were the No. 1 pest reported both years in most areas. Not surprisingly, fire ants were No. 1 in Texas together with Argentine ants in Southern California. Exceptions included Pensacola, Fla., and Sacramento and Merced, Calif., reporting subterranean termites the most important pest, while Santa Maria and San Jose, Calif., listed drywood termites No. 1 both years.
Each respondent was asked to list the top three pest ant species for 2001. Specifics will be detailed in the following discussions, but in general, the top five pest ant species in the United States, based on totals derived from these surveys, are 1) Argentine ants, 2) carpenter ants, 3) fire ants, 4) Pharaoh ants and 5) pavement ants. Argentine ants are listed in the top three in most every list across the South from east to west, while the same holds true for carpenter ants from New England to Northern California.
WEATHER CONDITIONS. The only predictable factor regarding the weather is its unpredictable nature. Each year, one area is warmer than normal, another cooler; one is wetter, others are dry. In general, most weather remains fairly normal year-to-year, but variations are evident and these have the potential to make or break a pest season.
New England was drier than normal in 2001 and the winter and fall were mild or warm. Things were fairly normal further down the coast in New Jersey and into Virginia. Northern Ohio was cool during the spring and wetter than normal for much of the year.
Texas was unusually warm in both spring and fall with much-needed moisture appearing in the spring to offset the current trends of dry fall and summer seasons the past several years. The Gulf Coast was normal temperature-wise, but wetter or drier than usual in the spring depending on the coastal city where you lived.
Southern California experienced essentially normal weather patterns for 2001 although the winter was noticeably warm and hotter temperatures extended into fall later than normal. Greater variation was seen further north, as parts were either warmer or cooler in the spring with less than normal precipitation for most of the year across the region. The fall months, however, were much warmer across the north of the state.
Here’s a review of this year’s most troublesome pests:
NEW ENGLAND. According to Terminix technical specialist Ron Keeler, the top three pests in the Northeast were carpenter ants, subterranean termites and mice. The termite swarm season appeared on schedule and was rated “good.” The pest season was good and lady bugs were heavier than the past during this fall. Bed bug cases have been increasing in the area, but as in recent years, flea calls have been relatively light.
NEW JERSEY. After higher-than-normal rainfall in 2000, this year proved essentially normal weather-wise, although the winter was colder and warmer weather has extended further into fall. The rains of the past two years may have contributed to the significant increase in bald faced hornet and yellowjacket activity this year, according to Rick Cooper of Cooper Pest Control. He also believes the cold winter helped the foundress queens remain dormant through the winter instead of emerging during warm winter days only to be killed as temperatures again plunged below freezing.
Ants are by far the key pests with carpenter ants, cornfield ants and odorous house ants the main culprits, although pavement activity remains steady. Carpenter ants remain the most difficult residential pest to control in this area. The termite swarm was good and on schedule and the pest season rated “excellent.” Fleas were not evident much again this year. As mentioned earlier, springtails were particularly common in homes during the spring, particularly in the turf of newly constructed homes.
Cooper notes that the paper wasp species, Polistes fuscatus, is replacing the most common native species, P. dominulus. P. fuscatus constructs larger nests, containing up to 200 wasps, and is much more aggressive than P. dominulus.
MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA. Carpenter ants and pavement ants top the list in this area, says Jerry Bukovsky, a technical specialist for Terminix. Like New Jersey, the area also experienced higher-than-normal activity for hornets and yellowjackets. Jerry says there’s been a significant increase in aerial nesting by yellowjackets.
The termite swarm season was deemed “fair” but arrived on schedule. The pest season was good with ants, wasps and rodents making the phones ring. A flea “season” did make an appearance in mid-August, but it was short-lived. Like many areas of the country, bed bugs are on the increase. Other unusual pest activity involved higher-than-normal calls for Indian meal moths and carpet beetles.
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. Termites and three ant species were the key pests in this area, according to Chris Anifinsen, a Terminix technical specialist. Drought plagued much of Pennsylvania during summer and fall, resulting in increased ant invasions in 2001. Odorous house ants are increasing their importance in Midwest states as they are on the Atlantic Seaboard, but pavement ants and carpenter ants are still the primary pest species.
The termite swarm in Pennsylvania was “good” and started on time, but the pest season was rated only “fair” to “good.” Yellowjackets were a bigger problem as they often seem to be during dry summers. Interestingly, incidents involving Indian meal moth were unusually high.
NORTHERN OHIO. John Patton of Patton Pest Control listed the top pests in his area (around Cleveland) as carpenter ants, wasps and yellowjackets, mice and spiders. He notes that the carpenter ant activity was less than in 2000, likely the result of a cool spring followed by a dry summer. His pest season was good and he did have a flea “season” but it was rated “poor.” He reports that deer mice were encountered more often than normal and that lady bugs were active this fall.
KENTUCKY. Odorous house ants are now the most important home pest in the central part of the state, says Dr. Mike Potter of the University of Kentucky. This ant has proven to be the most difficult-to-control pest in the area the past few years. Carpenter ants and pavement ants remain significant pests in Kentucky.
Potter rates the termite swarm as “excellent” and it arrived on time. He noted that an unusual number of swarms occurred in June involving Reticultermes virginicus, which typically swarm later than the more common R. flavipes.
The pest season was good with an especially large influx of lady beetles. Potter said the reason is the abundance of the soybean aphid in Kentucky this year. Earwig and cricket activity was significant this year, but yellowjacket activity was way down. A number of calls came into the university this year for foreign grain beetles in new home construction.
MEMPHIS/MIDSOUTH. The odorous house ant is still the primary ant pest in the Midsouth, but the imported fire ant has become an increasing problem in West Tennessee and Central and Northern Arkansas. Other ant species of importance are little black ants and acrobat ants. Brown recluse spiders remain a significant pest concern for many Midsouth homeowners, but other spiders also generated calls for service, according to Tom Moser of Terminix in Memphis.
The termite swarm was “good” to “excellent,” but the pest season was only “fair” with a decreased number of customer calls this year. Lady bugs, however, continue to increase in importance each year. Overwintering paper wasp queen activity is also up this fall.
GULF COAST. According to Ken Davis, a Terminix technical specialist in Gulfport, Miss., the Argentine ant, imported fire ant and subterranean termites are the top three pests. His counterpart based in Pensacola, Fla., Mike Weed, lists subterranean termites as the top pest followed by Argentine ants and the imported fire ant.
Both noted their termite swarms as “good” and arriving on schedule in 2001. The pest season was also “good” in both cities, but fleas were not much of a concern among homeowners in their areas. Ken Davis reports the Argentine ant is increasing its presence in the Gulfport area and he has noted Formosan termites are increasing their territory each year over the past seven to eight years.
FLORIDA. As would be expected in Florida, the top pests are ants which, in that state, may comprise a dozen or more pest species statewide. The primary culprits are crazy ants, carpenter ants, imported fire ants and ghost ants.
In Southern Florida, the white-footed is an increasing problem. Eduardo Moreira, who works in Florida for Syngenta, noted that a relative of the crazy ant, Paratrechina pubens, is making its presence known in South Florida as a structural pest. He characterized these infestations as more severe than many of the white-footed ant infestations he has seen.
TEXAS. Mike Kilpatrick, a Terminix technical specialist for the north Texas, area lists his top three pests as imported fire ants, Argentine ants and smoky brown cockroaches. In the Houston/Bryan area, Ron Kirby, also of Terminix, agrees that fire ants are the top pests, but notes that Pharaoh ants and scorpions have been a bigger problem this year than in past years.
In the Dallas area, the termite swarm was rated “excellent” likely due to the normal levels of moisture this past winter and spring relative to the droughts of the past several years. In the Houston area, the termite swarm was “good.” In both areas, the swarm occurred on schedule.
The pest season in Texas was good but again fleas were not evident as a significant pest. Most pest levels were normal for the state, although Kirby noted that many homeowners called regarding false chinch bugs in their lawns.
CALIFORNIA. Are you surprised that the No. 1 pest in California was the Argentine ant? This insect is by far the most significant structural pest throughout the state says both Lonnie Anderson and Dr. Hanif Gulmahamad, both technical specialists for Terminix. Odorous house ants, carpenter ants and Pharaoh ants are also noted as key pest species.
California is a large state and the top five pest lists submitted by various Terminix branches varied but most included subterranean termites, spiders, roof rats and either German or oriental cockroaches as key pests after the Argentine ant. In particular, the black widow spider is important in most areas of California, particularly in the south.
In general, the termite swarm rated “fair” to “good” depending on the city and most reported that their swarms began late. The pest season was rated “good” throughout most of the state although managers from Escondido and Concord reported excellent general pest activity.
In Southern California, bed bugs, amphipods (“lawn shrimp”), springtails and thrips were noted as unusual pests with higher-than-normal levels of activity in 2001. In Petaluma, the white-footed ant has been encountered on a number of occasions and paper wasps were more active in the Stockton area. Anderson discovered the first cases of the little black ant and acrobat ants he has seen or known of, in his part of the state.
The author is manager of technical services for Terminix International, Memphis, Tenn. He can be reached at shedges@pctonline.com.