Household Insects of the Rocky Mountain States Bulletin 557A January 1994 Colorado State University, University of Wyoming, Montana State University Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Milan Rewerts, interim director of Cooperative Extension, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Cooperative Extension programs are available to all without discrimination. No endorsement of products named is intended nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned. FOREWORD This publication provides information on the identification, general biology and management of insects associated with homes in the Rocky Mountain/High Plains region. Records from Colorado, Wyoming and Montana were used as primary reference for the species to include. Mention of more specific localities (e.g., extreme southwestern Colorado, Front Range) is provided when the insects show more restricted distribution. Line drawings are provided to assist in identification. In addition, there are several lists based on habits (e.g., flying), size, and distribution in the home. These are found in tables and appendices throughout this manual. Control strategies are the choice of the home dweller. Often simple practices can be effective, once the biology and habits of the insect are understood. Many of the insects found in homes are merely casual invaders that do not reproduce nor pose a threat to humans, stored food or furnishings. These may often originate from conditions that exist outside the dwelling. Other insects found in homes may be controlled by sanitation and household maintenance, such as altering potential breeding areas (e.g., leaky faucets, spilled food, effective screening). Insecticide use may be an option for some household pest species and general practices on timing and spot treatment are included in this manual. Specific insecticides are not generally included since pesticide registrations frequently change. Should you choose to use an insecticidal control in the home, always read and follow all label instructions, including precautionary statements. For highly specialized treatments, such as control of existing termite infestations, the services of a professional pest control operator are recommended. As with the many other features of the environment, the insects associated with homes in the Rocky Mountain/High Plains region may be very different from those found in other parts of the country. We hope that the information provided in this manual can help the reader better understand the fascinating world of insects as well as have an increased ability to make informed choices on the management of insects in the home. Whitney Cranshaw Mike Brewer Department of Entomology Department of Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences Colorado State University University of Wyoming Scott Armbrust Sherry Lajeunesse Rid*A*Pest Exterminators Entomology Division Littleton, CO Montana State University For more copies of this publication, contact: Extension Publications, 118 Culbertson Hall, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59712, (406) 994-3273; Bulletin Room, P.O. Box 3313, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3313, (307) 766-2115; or Cooperative Extension Resource Center, 115 Biochemistry and Radiation Biology Building, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 (303) 491-6198. 2 HOUSEHOLD INSECTS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES FOREWORD ........................................................................... 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................. 7 INTRODUCTION Insects and Insect Relatives ............................................................... 8 Insect Growth ........................................................................ 8 ARTHROPODS ASSOCIATED WITH HOMES IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION Cockroaches ............................................................................ 11 German Cockroach .................................................................... 11 Brownbanded Cockroach ................................................................ 12 American Cockroach ................................................................... 12 Oriental Cockroach .................................................................... 13 Surinam Cockroach .................................................................... 13 Cockroach Control ..................................................................... 15 Ants in the Home ........................................................................ 17 Life History and Habits ................................................................. 17 Common Ants Found In and Around Homes .................................................. 18 Field Ants ........................................................................ 18 Cornfield Ants ..................................................................... 18 Carpenter Ants .................................................................... 18 Harvester Ants ..................................................................... 19 Pavement Ant ..................................................................... 19 Pharaoh Ant ...................................................................... 19 Thief Ant ........................................................................ 20 Southern Fire Ant .................................................................. 20 General Ant Control .................................................................... 21 Control of Carpenter Ants ................................................................ 22 Control of Pharaoh Ants ................................................................. 22 Silverfish and Firebrats ..................................................................... 23 Insects Infesting Wool, Furs and Feathers ........................................................ 24 Carpet Beetles ........................................................................ 24 Clothes Moths ........................................................................ 25 Insect Pests of Home-Stored Foods ............................................................ 26 Flour Beetles ......................................................................... 26 Sawtoothed Grain Beetle ................................................................ 26 Carpet Beetles ........................................................................ 28 Spider Beetles ........................................................................ 29 Drugstore Beetle ...................................................................... 29 Cigarette Beetle ....................................................................... 29 Dark Mealworm ...................................................................... 30 3 Household Insects of the Rocky Mountain States Indian Meal Moth ..................................................................... 30 Insects Infesting Whole Grains ............................................................ 31 Control of Insects Infesting Stored Foods ..................................................... 31 Where Do They Come From? ............................................................. 32 Wood Destroying Insects ................................................................... 33 Termites ............................................................................ 33 Subterranean Termites of the Region ..................................................... 33 Drywood Termites .................................................................. 35 Life History of Termites .............................................................. 35 Detection of Subterranean Termites ...................................................... 36 Detection of Drywood Termites ......................................................... 37 Control of Subterranean Termites ....................................................... 38 Wood Boring Beetles ................................................................... 40 Powderpost Beetles ................................................................. 40 False Powderpost Beetles ............................................................. 42 Furniture (Anobiid) Beetles ............................................................ 42 Wood Borers ...................................................................... 42 Bees and Wasps Associated with Wood ...................................................... 43 Horntails ......................................................................... 43 Leafcutter Bees .................................................................... 43 Flies and Gnats .......................................................................... 45 Cluster Flies ...................................................................... 45 Blow Flies ....................................................................... 46 House Flies ....................................................................... 46 Face Flies ........................................................................ 47 Little House Flies .................................................................. 47 Picture-winged Flies ................................................................. 47 Fungus Gnats ..................................................................... 47 Vinegar Flies .....................................................................