Bug Doctor

Argentine ants are extremely well adapted to urbanized areas of the United States with mild climates and well-watered gardens. They pose a serious threat to native wildlife by upsetting delicate food webs. They are especially formidable due to their aggressive behavior and the enormous size of their colonies which can literally "team up" with other colonies.

They follow a pre-marked pheromone "scent" trail initially laid down by scouts who were searching for goodies in your pantry. Although they prefer the outdoor life style, they primarily enter houses for food and water.

Brown banded cockroaches get their name from the two lighter bands they have across their dark brownish bodies. In addition to the distinctive banding, males have full wings, which reach beyond the tip of their rather pointed abdomens, but females have underdeveloped wings, much shorter than their broad, rounded abdomens.

Excellent climbers. Can be found in cultivated fields, at or below ground level, or in upper stories of skyscrapers. Curious and inquisitive. Mice explore their limited home range of 10 to 30 feet daily for newly introduced objects. Nocturnal. Most activity and feeding takes place between a half-hour after sunset and a half-hour before sunrise. Strong social hierarchy.

The female Black Widow is shiny black, usually with a reddish hourglass shape on the underside of her spherical abdomen. Her body is about 1.5 inches long. Adult males are harmless, about half the female's size, with smaller bodies, longer legs and usually have yellow and red bands and spots over the back as do the immature stages.