The Biggest Pest Problems In US Cities

THE BIGGEST PEST PROBLEMS IN U.S. CITIES Seattle Boston Detroit New York Chicago Philadelphia San Francisco Washington Denver Las Vegas Charlotte Los Angeles Atlanta Phoenix Dallas New Orleans Houston Honolulu Miami Anchorage HOLLYWOOD New York Los Angeles MAMMALS MAMMALS RATS MICE RATS COYOTES • Predominantly black and brown. • Prominent among New York City pests since colonial times. • Popular legend says there are more rats in New York than • There were more than 3,100 reported • Rats have traditionally not been a major problem in Los Angeles, but with mild winters in recent years, the rat problem has increased. Health inspectors estimate that there is now about one rat for every resident. • Coyotes have proven to be a major pest in Southern California, with one Southern California town cases of mouse infestation between October 2013 and February 2014. • White-footed mice living in the remaining forests in and immediately around New York City have been the subject of evolution studies in recent every person in the city), but more years, with scientists finding some recent estimates have suggested evidence that natural selection has altered their genes to be different from those of their more rural cousins. reporting 60 pet attacks in one year from coyotes. people, with estimates ranging as high as 32 million rats (4 rats for INSECTS that the real number might be closer to 2 million. TERMITES МОTHS TREE BORING BEETLES • Moths and other flying insects need plant life to • Beetles such as the survive, plant life which is becoming more and Other insects causing damage to trees and wooden structures, such as termites, are extremely common in Los Angeles, INSECTS Emerald Ash Borer and the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer have recently made their way into Southern California and, BEDBUGS ANTS СОСKROACHES more difficult to find in • Bedbugs have recently come roaring back from obscurity to become a major pest problem. They appear in all 50 states but New York City has a large population of bedbugs, with reported infestations growing from 500 to 10,000 by 2009. • A recent study • New York City's cockroach problems are the result primarily of the German and the drought afflicted deserts. This is pushing which is consistently insects further into urban along with other insects, areas, congregating especially around bodies of water, including even water sources such as found that insects (mostly ants) eat 2,100 pounds of food annually from trash and streets in cockroach, though NYC. Researchers there are at least five among the U.S. cities with the have been moving more toward urban areas American varieties of highest number of termite treatments because of drought conditions, causing major damage to urban tree population. claim that this is a rare example of ants working directly for the benefit of human other that performed. lawn sprinklers. species have a minor presence in the city, with new types discovered periodically. COCKROACHES FRUIT FLIES • Along with termites, · Fruit flies have long been a crop-eating pest in the Los Angeles area, but never more than during the 1989-1990 medfly infestation, which occurred so rapidly and in such great volume that law enforcement quickly determined that outside forces had purposely infested California with the flies. Medflies and other beings. Los Angeles ranks highest among U.S. cities for cockroach treatments. Chicago types of fruit flies remain a significant threat to crops all across California even today. MAMMALS Houston RATS AND MICE • Like most major metropolitan areas, Chicago has a rodent problem. But unlike other cities Chicago is perennially considered the "Rattiest City" in the U.S. based on the number of rodent treatments performed. NASA MAMMALS INSECTS BONUS RACCOONS AND POSSUMS BEDBUGS COMMON PIGEON • Larger mammalian pests are a major problem in the Houston area, where it is not unheard of for them to find ways into houses during colder weather, where they are sometimes known to chew on electrical wires, a major fire hazard. • The numbers of pigeons in • For the past 3 years Chicago has topped the list of the worst U.S. cities for bedbug infestations. Chicago also holds the dubious distinction of having the most calls for bedbugs, spiders, and ant exterminations of any major city in the country. Chicago made nationwide headlines in 2012 and 2013, and while the numbers have eased up somewhat in recent months, the population is still unusually large, leading city leaders toward the solution of netting and "deporting" pigeons to Indiana, Zw BONUS INSECTS MOSQUITOS SNAKES • During dry summers, venomous snakes make their way into urban areas looking for food, water, and shelter. Copperhead • Because of its location on several bayous, mosquitos are numerous in Houston thanks in part to relatively mild year-round temperatures. 2011 saw a particularly bad infestation, resulting in, among other things, "mosquitos" being the number 1 trending topic on Twitter in Houston. and rattlesnakes are not unheard of, while most Houston snakes are harmless. According to experts, most snake bites are the result of ill-advised attempts Philadelphia MAMMALS to handle snakes. RATS SKUNK Phoenix · Exterminators have noticed in recent years a general trend toward increasing skunk populations, inside and outside Philadelphia, but especially in Philadelphia's northern suburbs. Because of the value of their smell in making perfumes, and the relatively low value of skunk fur, exterminators are hesitant to trap skunks in ways that might harm them, meaning that trapping is difficult and often does not keep pace with the skunk population. • The most common rats in Philadelphia are black rats, more commonly known in that area of the X INSECTS country as Roof Rats. SPIDERS SCORPIONS ·A variety of spiders, from tarantulas to black widows, become active during warmer months in and around Phoenix, and are increasingly drawn to urban areas as drought conditions limit their food supply. Unusually warm weather has kept them more active for longer. • A number of varieties of desert scorpions are present in the area around Phoenix and have recently made their way into urban areas due to drought conditions and unusually warm weather. INSECTS BEDBUGS • Philadelphia exterminators have called 2014 the worst bedbug year to date in Philadelphia, and city-backed studies have shown that as many as one in ten homes may be affected by bedbugs. MAMMALS BONUS COYOTES REPTILES • As with many states in the Southwest, coyotes are potentially a problem, even in urban areas, where king snakes come out of hibernation Several varieties of venomous snakes such as rattlesnakes and Miami they have been known to wander in and disrupt local ecologies, while representing a potential danger to small animals, especially cats allowed to roam outdoors. following the winter months, and are a potential health risk. It must be said, however, that most snake bites are the result of attempts by untrained people to pick up and handle snakes. MAMMALS FERAL CATS Desert lizards such as Gila Monsters are also known to make • Feral cats reproduce so prodigiously and are so difficult to trap that it is next to impossible to accurately predict their numbers. They are a major threat to other species of animals, especially birds, but in the Everglades they are potential carriers of diseases that can be transmitted to the endangered Florida panther. Dallas their way into urban areas during particularly bad droughts. BONUS INSECTS MAMMALS MOSQUITOS ALLIGATORS • Mosquito infestations are so ARMADILLOS COYOTES • The state of Florida considers any Alligator larger than 4 feet long to be a nuisance worth reporting if it makes its way into urban areas, as they may attack pets or people. Alligators less than 4 feet long are not considered a nuisance because they are not known to attack unless people attempt to handle them. The state of Florida estimates that there common in South Florida, usually blown in by seasonal winds from the Everglades, that residents are aware of a • Armadillos are a common •It is not uncommon for Dallas residents to come into contact with coyotes, one of the few predator species in the area which will make its way into urban areas. Though not much of a threat to humans, coyotes can often be a threat to small pets such as dogs and cats, and can disrupt urban ecosystems. yard pest throughout Texas where they can be found, especially during dry months, digging up lawns to reach insects mosquito season when they become especially common. Fortunately, the varieties of mosquitos seen during this buried in the ground. are 1.3 million alligators in the wild in Florida. season, whose numbers can INSECTS easily reach into the billions, seem largely harmless, with only a few reported cases of mosquito-borne diseases having been contracted. BAGWORMS STRIPED BARK SCORPION РYTHONS • Unusually, it is not unheard of for giant pythons to appear and cause problems in various parts of Florida, where annual roundups attempt to find and humanely capture the creatures. Though many are likely escaped pets, authorities have theorized that enough have evaded capture over the years to breed a small wild population. Bagworms are an especially difficult problem for North Texans to deal with, having recently begun causing significant damage to cedar tree populations in the area. • There is only one species of scorpion living in the Dallas area, the striped bark scorpion. Their stings are not fatal, but do contain neurotoxins known to cause intense pain and swelling. Scorpion infestations can be difficult to notice in homes, as the insects are typically nocturnal, are quite small and are excellent hiders. San Francisco Charlotte MAMMALS МАММALS DIGGING MAMMALS RATS RATS AND MICE (gophers,mice, voles,etc.) • San Francisco is not traditionally known for • Charlotte ranks 20th on the list of major U.S. cities with rodent problems, based on the volume of exteminator calls related to such infestations. its rat problems due to mild weather not • San Francisco is blessed with forcing rats into human homes, but the city relatively few major mammalian recently experienced an outbreak which is pests, or at least few that aren't commonly found elsewhere. Some potentially destructive pests are mice, voles, moles, gophers, and other small animals that can yet to be fully brought under control when an animal hoarder began breeding and releasing rats in public places. Though authorities have taken steps to confiscate and capture rats where they can, one breeding pair can produce as many as 15,000 offspring, and the problem has not INSECTS STINK BUGS • Stinks bugs were first detected in North Carolina in exterminators have experienced some difficulty removing them. They typically swarm into structures during the winter, where they hibernate until the spring. Using their natural pheromones, undetectable by humans, they attract other stink bugs, causing increasingly large swarms. late 2000s, and potentially cause significant damage to lawns and gardens been brought completely under control yet. by digging. INSECTS Seattle BEDBUGS • San Francisco is commonly listed among the most bedbug infested cities in California and the country, where the relatively warm year-round climate speeds their reproduction. MAMMALS Detroit RATS SEALS AND RACCOONS AND OPOSSUMS SEA LIONS • Seattle is among the top 20 "rattiest" cities, based on the number of calls for rat extermination, due to somewhat colder A somewhat unusual pest • Raccoons and elsewhere, it is not unheard opossums are some of for seals and sea lions to take temporary ownership of docks and waterside decks, causing potential hazards for boaters, and potentially damaging marine ecosystems. of the few mammal MAMMALS species considered to be true pests in RATS the Seattle area, winters driving them into human dwellings regularly. where they have been known to • Detroit is among the most rat infested cities in the world. In recent years the infestation has become so bad in some areas that authorities have proposed bounty hunting programs. spread rabies. INSECTS INSECTS BEDBUGS SLUGS • Detroit has become so infested with bedbugs that they are no longer only infesting residential dwellings, but have even been observed on city • While Seattle experiences the same kinds of insect infestations as most major cities, the most unusual infestation experienced is that of slugs, which are occasionally found to be endemic in the Seattle area, potentially causing great harm to agriculture and private gardens. busses. Denver MAMMALS Washington MAMMALS ARMADILLOS MICE AND RATS • Colorado is at the western extreme of armadillos' range. They can be problematic because they dig up yards and because they're potential disease carriers. • D.C. is among the cities most affected by rodent infestations, according to Orkin. While D.C. rats are not as large as New York rats, they may be more numerous, leading D.C. authorities to set up tip lines for dealing with rodent infestations. INSECTS BEDBUGS INSECTS • Denver is ranked among the top 5 major cities nationwide for bedbug TICKS infestations. • Washington D.C. ranks in the top 5 for bug infestations nationwide and is the #1 city for tick problems. Boston DOA REEL Atlanta NOIS MAMMALS RATS MAMMALS • Rats have recently become a major issue in and immediately around Boston, with residents reporting that, especially in South Boston, rats can be seen running through the streets. Boston ranks #15 on the "rattiest cities" list. RATS • Atlanta experiences mild winters, which in some cases serve to keep rats from coming into human dwellings, but in others, do little other than prevent rats from dying off during the winter. Rapidly increasing density and large numbers of foreclosed buildings have also provided shelter for rats, which are not often checked with the necessary regularity to prevent problem infestations. • Atlanta is home primarily to Norway Rats and Roof Rats. INSECTS BEDBUGS • Boston consistently ranks among one of the most bedbug infested cities in the country, with the common practice of furniture recycling being partially blamed for the problem. INSECTS MOSQUITOS • Atlanta is one of the most bug infested cities in America, with a particularly bad mosquito problem; just 29% of Atlanta residents report that they do not find the mosquitos to be a nuisance. New Orleans INSECTS MOSQUITOS TERMITES • Mosquitos are a common problem in the warm, humid climate of New Orleans. They are problematic to the point that the city arranges for regular anti-mosquito sprayings by truck and airplane, mostly at night. The most commonly contracted illness from mosquito bites in New Orleans is West Nile Virus. • Formosan termites are a major cause of damage to trees and buildings. A mature colony may Honolulu MAMMALS hold as many as 7 million termites and eat 13 pounds of wood per day. Termites are sprayed at regular intervals alongside mosquitos. MONGOOSES FERAL PIGS • Mongooses are a major source of flea infestations in • Feral pigs in recent years have become a major nuisance specifically on the island of Oahu, where they are making their way into urban landscapes, disrupting established ecologies, and damaging gardens. Hawaii, and are known to occasionally make their way from the wild into urban areas MAMMALS BONUS such as Honolulu. BLACK BEARS ALLIGATORS INSECTS • Alligators thrive in the • Louisiana is home to two species of black bear, the American Black Bear and the Louisiana Black southern part of Bear, both of which are rarely a threat to humans, Louisiana, and are but which have been known to make their way into towns when hungry, rooting through garbage and causing traffic issues. COCKROACHES SCORPIONS CENTIPEDES • Hawaii is home to 19 varieties of cockroaches. lesser brown scorpion They rarely bite and are mainly a nuisance because they are so • Hawaii is home to the • Hawaii is home to a variety of centipedes, but one, Scolopendra subspinipe, is capable of delivering painful bites to humans and known to occasionally which, while rarely seen, has a potent wander into urban areas looking for food like birds and small venom which can cause pain and swelling, and potentially death if the victim is allergic. mammals. numerous. is large and strong enough to hang on until the victim physically removes it. Anchorage LAS VEGAS MAMMALS NEVADA BEAVERS BEARS МOOSE Las Vegas MAMMALS • Largely harmless · Black and brown bears · Moose generally give birth in the early Summer, and are considered by Alaska authorities to be among the most dangerous animals that can be encountered if until recently, make their way into Anchorage during the summer months, and BATS COYOTES beaver colonies • Coyotes are increasingly • Many species of bats live in Nevada, and several are attracted to Las Vegas in particular making their way into because of the bright lights, which typically mean bugs will be in the area. Homeowners with outdoor patio lights beware: the bats will often roost in human dwellings during the day time and may carry disease. in and around Anchorage have shown more have been known to cause traffic problems willingness to fight and occasionally attack they are with a calf. In humans, but this is back recently when approached extremely rare and is by dogs and/or humans. addition to the possibility of charging humans, they are known to cause traffic urban areas. While they are usually afraid of human contact, but may represent a danger to small animals such as typically the result of human provocation. backups and represent a nighttime hazard to motorists. dogs and outdoor cats. INSECTS INSECTS SCORPIONS SPIDERS BEES • Because of its dry, hot climate, Las Vegas is a home for many varieties of scorpions, most of which are harmless aside Tarantulas and black • Like scorpions, spiders of all sorts thrive in arid climates BEDBUGS MOSQUITOS • Nevada is one of the well-established homes • Anchorage has seen a major increase in bedbug infestations in low-cost hotels in recent years; while 2013's total complaints were lower than 2012's, 2007 and 2008 combined saw only one bedbug complaint. Despite its short duration (June-July), Alaska is known for its intense mosquito season, involving large swarms of mosquitos (the unofficial record for most mosquitoes of Africanized like that of Las Vegas. Honeybees, so-called Killer Bees, While from painful stings. They tend to be solitary and widows are commonly harmless if they are left seen, and both undisturbed, they have been known to sting in professional exterminator should learn to identify swarms and chase victims up to a quarter of a mile from their nest in order to do so. killed in one swat is 78!) can be difficult for even a residents and visitors to find in a home, where they tend to move into during winter months. harmless versus potentially harmful varieties of spider. 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