Blood Feeders

Species 1

Adults 1/8 – 3/8" long.
Body and legs covered with scales.
Mostly gray to dark, some marked with white, silver, green or iridescent blue scales.
Head with long beak; antennae 15-segmented, feathery in male, hairy in female.
Two pairs of long, narrow wings with scales along veins and margin.
Habitat outdoors: ponds, lakes, leaves of plants, tree holes, etc.
Eggs deposited on water, in rafts on water, or on moist soils near water.
Immature mosquitoes (egg, larva, pupa) cannot breathe underwater.
Prefer stagnant water when depositing eggs.
Feed at dawn and dusk on the blood of animals or humans.
Locate food sources using their antennae to detect carbon dioxide.

Eliminate high-producing areas via habitat modification — reduce resting areas and prevent stagnant water.
Use properly labeled pesticide applications.
Treat under and at the roots of bushes and shrubs where moisture collects.
Treat under low-lying trees around the perimeter of the home to build a protective barrier.

Species 2

Inspect thoroughly — look for fecal matter, blood stains and eggs.
Vacuum carpet, bedding, drapery and furniture to loosen eggs in hard-to-reach places.
High heat or dry cleaning of clothes, bedding and drapery is key to treatment.
Treat framework of couches and beds, under baseboards, the tack-strip area under carpets, and voids including outlet boxes.
Do not treat any areas of the bed or couch where humans contact directly.
Aerosols and liquids are best; dusts are better for hard-to-reach places like outlets.
Customers must follow the bed bug preparation checklist for treatment to be thoroughly effective.

Species 3

Unengorged adult female about 3/16" long; male slightly smaller, 1/8".
Body oval, dorsoventrally flattened (top to bottom).
Brown with whitish to grayish markings, often with a silver hue on the dorsal shield.
Both larvae (6 legs) and nymph (8 legs) with red markings near eyes and lacking white on the dorsal shield.
Feed on blood of animals and humans.
Don't usually survive well indoors — usually carried in on a pet.
Engorged female drops off the host and seeks shelter to lay eggs — 4,000 to 6,500 eggs over 14-32 days, then dies.
Found outdoors in grassy low vegetation, on wildlife and trees.

Inspect thoroughly.
Keep grass cut to 3" or less; trim back vegetation.
Apply properly labeled pesticide on a perimeter treatment, paying attention to roots of bushes, shrubs and low-lying trees.

Species 4

Adults about 2.5 mm long.
Body flattened side to side; wingless.
Brownish black to black, but reddish black when full of blood.
Compound eyes well developed; femur of hind leg with 10-13 bristles on inner side.
Short antennae.
Mature larvae about 1/8 – 1/4" long; whitish, slender, eyeless and legless.
Females lay 4-8 eggs after each blood meal — 400-500 during their lifetime.
Eggs deposited on or between hairs or in nest/bedding material; oval, whitish, about 1/64" long, hatch in 1-12 days.
Hitchhikers that jump about 6" vertically.
Found where animals sleep and along travel paths — high moisture areas.
Prefer hairy animals: dogs, cats, rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice and other domesticated or wild animals.

Inspect highly concentrated areas with activity.
Treat cracks and crevices and under large furniture; mist over carpeted areas and under pet bedding; allow to dry before vacuuming.
If pets have fleas at the time of treatment, the pet owner must arrange for the pet to be treated at the same time.
Outside, prevent wildlife from entering the structure, trim vegetation and eliminate water sources.
Use appropriately labeled pesticide and a light-stable IGR.
Treat shaded resting areas — next to the structure, foundation, porch, under bushes or low-lying trees.

Reclaim your yard, your sleep, and your sanity