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Springtime Pests in Arizona: Friend or Foe? An Informative Slideshow
- 1. SPRINGTIME PESTS IN ARIZONA FRIEND OR FOE? AN INFORMATIVE SLIDE SHOW
- 2. Subterranean Termites Friend or Foe? FOE • Require soil to survive, typically living in moist colonies underground • Diet includes wood, wallpaper, plastics and fabric made from plants • Thrive in nearly every region in the United States • Treat infestations immediately before they spread throughout your home
- 3. Paper Wasps Friend or Foe? FOE • Sometimes called the umbrella wasp due to distinctive design of nests • Social insects that build a new nest each year • Rather aggressive and fiercely protect their homes • Narrow bodies are dark brown with black wings and yellow markings
- 4. Mud Dauber Friend or Foe? FRIEND • Primary predator of both the black and brown widow spiders • Tend to build small mud nests under building overhangs • Food is taken alive back to the nest for the wasps’ larvae to eat • Rarely aggressive but can be a nuisance in garages and under eaves
- 5. Mohave Rattlesnake Friend or Foe? FOE • Easily mistaken for Diamondbacks due to similar appearance • Does not lay eggs but gives birth to several 9 to 11 inch young • One of the most venomous snakes in North America • Bite produces pain, swelling and tissue discoloration in the area of the bite
- 6. Bald Faced Hornet Friend or Foe? FOE • Very aggressive species, easily identified by distinct coloring • Usually unsafe to approach their nests, even to observe • Construct grey nests of wood fiber and paper typically found in trees • Often found around flowers, harvesting nectar and pollen
- 7. Tarantula Hawk Friend or Foe? FRIEND • Stings, captures, and paralyzes its tarantula prey • Use tarantula bodies as a host for their eggs • Tarantula hawk larvae feast on the remains of the spider • Most active during summer but tend to avoid very high temperatures
- 8. Rats Friend or Foe? FOE • Intelligent creatures with sharp memories, smarter than mice and rabbits • They have poor eyesight, relying mainly on their sense of smell and hearing • Various types of baits, traps, and repellent are used to eradicate rats • Ask local pest control for recommended eradication methods
- 9. Gophers Friend or Foe? FOE • One of Arizona’s cuter pests, occasionally tearing up and ruining golf course • Feed on roots and tubers, also eating carrots, vegetables, grass and nuts • Pocket gopher teeth continuously grow accommodating frequent wear and tear
- 10. Bats Friend or Foe? FRIEND • Bats spread a highly effective fertilizer called guano • People can benefit by installing a bat house; bats will assist in pollenating flowers and eating insects • Call a professional for safe removal if found in your home
- 11. Skunk Friend or Foe? BOTH • Hungry omnivores who typically forage at night • Benefit humans by feasting on plants, insects, worms, eggs, and other pests • Skunks are a predator of honeybees and will attack a beehive • When threatened, they’ll spray a liquid with a pungent, foul odor
- 12. Gopher Snake Friend or Foe? FOE • Gopher snakes have relatively small bodies but are quite strong • Common length of 4 feet with reports reaching as high as 9 feet • Diet includes small mammals, birds, and eggs • Non-venomous but known to bite when it feels threatened
- 13. Sonora Mountain Kingsnake Friend or Foe? FRIEND • Medium-sized snake with alternating red, black, and white bands • Non-venomous but will bite when captured discharging foul-smelling musk and feces • A constrictor snake that suffocates its prey and swallows it whole • Can be valuable to humans, consuming rodents that often eat and spoil stored food
- 14. Sonora Coral Snake Friend or Foe? FOE • Small and slender, similar in appearance to the Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake • Feeds primarily on ectotherms, or cold-blooded animals • Uses neurotoxic venom similar to that of a cobra to subdue its prey • Typically found near rocky drainages, mesquite lined washes, and in canyons
- 15. Cicada Killer Friend or Foe? FRIEND • Quite harmless, particularly the males which cannot sting • Their most frightening aspect is their name • Erratic fliers, often running into buildings • Eastern Cicada killers are beneficial, regulating cicada populations
- 16. Diamondback Rattle Snake Friend or Foe? FOE • Heavy snake with triangular-shaped head and diamond-shaped pattern along its back • Perhaps the most feared desert creature identified by the sound of its shaking rattle • If bitten, stay calm to prevent venom from quickly spreading throughout your body