Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
Here are some of the pests that live in Alabama. Some are just and minor nuisance and some are just downright dangerous.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
30. Beavers
Beavers are nature's architects and dam builders. They can also reroute streams and create problems for land owners. Beavers cut trees to build therir dams and cause damage to areas both up and down stream from their dam construction. Here are some of the pests that live in Alabama. Some are just and minor nuisance and some are just downright dangerous.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
29. Japanese beetles
An adult Japanese Beetle, Popillia japonica, that invaded the United States in 1916. They feed on crops such as soybeans and many ornamental plants like roses and canna. Traps are available but infestations can be difficult to control. Photo/Carolina K. Smith.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
28. Opossum
Opossums, also known as possums, are marsupial mammals that inhabit all of Alabama. Although a minor pest, they will destroy bird feeders and get into garbage bags and cans. They only live 1-2 years due to heavy predation from dogs, coyotes and other predators.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
27. Giant Resin Bee
A giant resin bee is seen at the entrance of carpenter bee nest hole, June 9, 2000, in Auburn, Ala. First spotted in the United States in 1994 in North Carolina, the bees have spread into Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia. Sightings in Alabama dating back to June 1999 mark their farthest migration west. In Alabama, giant resin bees usually nest in vacated tunnels constructed by carpenter bees. Researchers at Auburn University have yet to examine a loose nest of a giant resin bee. (AP Photo/ Auburn University, Takumasa Kondo)
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
26. Raccoon
Raccoons can be found statewide in Alabama. They can carry disease including rabies. They are mainly nocturnal and will forage for food at night including knocking seed for bird feeders and suet blocks. Raccoons are great climbers and will turn over garbage cans or anything that contains food.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
25. Lice
Head lice are parasitic wingless insects. They live on people's heads and feed on their blood. An adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed. The eggs, called nits, are even smaller. Lice are spread by person to person contact and is especially common is preschool and young school age children. Lice can spread easily and can infect an entire home quickly.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
24. Coyotes
Coyote. Coyotes can be found in most regions of Alabama. They are canines and are a relative of grey wolves. If you are a farmer in Alabama and raise chickens or sheep, coyotes are definitely a pest that needs to be controlled. Coyotes will attack a variety of livestock, with sheep and fowl being at the greatest risk. The other two problems of most concern are the predation of pets and the concerns for human safety. (Credit Tennessee Valley Wildlife Control)
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
23. Cockroach
Cockroach. There are 70 species of cockroach in American, many of them are found in Alabama. The insect can invade houses and dwellings looking for food and warmth. They have an elaborate social structure and can be difficult to get rid of requiring professional help. ( Photo/ Bernard Troncale/The Birmingham News.).
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
22. Carpenter bee
Carpenter bees are starting to come out of their overwintering in their gallery nests to look for mates in Baldwin County. They are similar in size to bumblebees, but they do not have as much hair on their abdomens as bumblebees do, which are almost entirely covered with bands of yellow and black hair. As this carpenter bee spotted in Fairhope shows, it has a shiny black abdomen. This bee also has pollen attached to it and carpenter bees plays an important role in pollinating plants and trees. However, as their name implies, the female carpenter bee bores into untreated wood and they can be a nuisance to homeowners. Treated and painted wood is the best defense against the bees. Fortunately, the damage is mostly cosmetic and their isn't significant structural damage from the bees unless the nest, or gallery, is a long standing nest or other bees happen to be building galleries close together. Indirect damage is caused by carpenter bees as woodpeckers bang against the wood when they see evidence of the bee galleries. According to the Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet, the female is the one that builds the galleries, and it will re-use old galleries. While the female has a stinger, it will only sting when captured or handled. Photo by Jon Hauge
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
21. Brown Widow spider
The Brown Widow Spider, Widow Spider, one of Alabama's venomous spiders.All photos are courtesy of W. Mike Howell and Ronald Jenkins, from their 2004 book iSpiders of the Eastern United States: A Photographic Guide.i (Courtesy)
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
20. Mouse
Mice are small rodents that love to take up residence in homes, barns and most any other dwelling. They multiply rapidly and carry a host of diseases. If you seen one mouse, there are probably many others in the area.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
19. Fleas
Flea, Xenopsylla Cheopis - Female. Fleas can cause headaches and disease for both animals and humans. They can jump from animal to animal and animal to human. Their bite is irritating and can infest an entire home in just days.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
18. Wasps
Red Wasps are common throughout Alabama. They build their nests in the eaves of houses, in barns and other areas. The queen lays her eggs in a nest of paper cells built from chewed wood and other plant material. Females will sting aggressively to protect the nest and the sting can be very painful. Some are allergic to a wasp sting and have severe reactions.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
17. Feral Hogs
Feral hogs are a real problem for land owners in Alabama and other southern states. They destroy farmland and habitat for other native animals. Hogs breed frequently and can overwhelm an area in a matter of months. Hog tusks are razor sharp and can inflict severe damage. Jamison Stone, 11, poses with a wild pig he killed near Delta, Ala., May 3, 2007. Stone's father says the hog weighed a staggering 1,051 pounds and measured 9-feet-4 from the tip of its snout to the base of its tail. If claims of the animal's size are true, it would be larger than ``Hogzilla,'' the huge hog killed in Georgia in 2004.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
16. Yellow Jackets
Yellow jackets are small, ground-dwelling wasps that attack in numbers when disturbed. They are a threat year-round, but are a bigger problem in the fall when their numbers are high.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
15. Rats
Rats are the larger more destructive cousins to mice. Rats frequent the same type of areas as mice but are larger and can be more destructive. These larger rodents love to take up residence in homes, barns apartment buildings and warehouses. They multiply rapidly and carry a host of diseases.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
14. Hornets
Hornets are a flying insect that is highly social that nest in dark shady areas. Hornets build large, elaborate round, paperlike nests from chewed wood and other plant material. They resemble a yellow jacket but are larger in size. Hornets have a very painful sting and may attack in groups if the nest is threatened.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
13. Bed Bugs
Bed Bugs. Bed bugs were nearly eradicated in the United States following World War II. Now they're back, and they are hitchhiking their way across the United States by crawling into luggage and clothing that pass through high-traffic areas such as hotels, airplanes and cruise ships. (Photo: Business Wire)
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
12. Alligator
Alligators can be very dangerous when in close proximity to humans and domesticated animals. They are large reptiles that are close to the top of the food chain. They are very fast and agile under water. Alligators are now being found in many areas of Alabama including this one in Jefferson County in 2010.Jefferson County Sheriff Deputies and workers from the Alabama Department of Wildlife and Conservation respond to an alligator, measuring about 9 feet, in the yard of a residence on Birmingport Road in western Jefferson County, Ala., on Monday, July 19, 2010. (Michelle Williams / The Birmingham News)
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
11. Termites
Termites are a subterranean insects that feast on wood. they cause billions of dollars of damage to homes each year in the United States. Most termite infestations are found March through May when warm, wet weather is the norm and the termites swarm. Termites love warm damp areas around foundation and walls. They will eat their way into wood from the inside.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
10. Fire Ants
Red Imported Fire Ant . Fire ants are everywhere in Alabama. They are a highly structured insect that build huge subterranean homes with hundreds of tunnels. They have a very nasty bite that can leave red whelps. Some are highly allergic to fire ant bites. (Photo courtesy Louisiana State University).
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Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
9. Coral Snake
Eastern Coral Snake. A medium-sized, slender snake with a short, blunt head only slightly wider than neck. Upper jaw has a pair of immovable, grooved, erect fangs near front. Scales smooth, in 15 rows near mid-body, and anal plate divided. Top of head and snout black and occiput has a broad yellow band. Body pattern consists of alternating, complete, transverse rings of red, yellow, and black (with red and yellow rings touching) that continue completely around venter. Although not considered aggressive, species does possess the most toxic venom of any North American snake; thus, potentially very hazardous to humans and should never be handled. (Wikimedia).Here are some of the pests that live in Alabama. Some are just and minor nuisance and some are just downright dangerous.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
8. Ticks
Ticks are a real problem for folks that have pets and frequent the outdoors. Many ticks in Alabama can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Ticks will attach themselves to the host and feed on blood. They are found in most woodland areas.
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
7. Pigmy Rattlesnake
Pigmy rattlesnakes, as their name would imply, are miniature rattlesnakes. Sometimes referred to as "ground rattlers", they range in length from 15 to 24 inches at maturity, and when in a coiled position are roughly the size of a loblolly pine cone. The tip of their tail contains a very small delicate rattle or button that is not much wider than the end of the tail itself. When vibrated for a warning, the rattle is often difficult to hear and has been compared to the sound of an insect buzzing. This species is found in a variety of habitats including everglades prairies, palmetto-pine flatwoods, sandhills, mixed pine-hardwood forests, borders of cypress ponds, and in the vicinity of lakes and marshes. One note is that they are seldom found in extremely dry habitats. As is typical of pit vipers, pigmy rattlesnakes prefer to sit and wait for prey to pass by. While waiting for prey, they will remain in a coiled position, sometimes for up to three weeks. (Wikimedia).
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
6. Copperhead
The Copperhead has a head that is noticeably wider than the neck. The top of their head is a copper color, hence the name copperhead. Dark "hourglass cross bands" are common to both species. The body may be colored from a light brown to tan or pinkish in the southern copperhead. The northern copperhead usually has a darker and more reddish brown body color. It belongs to a group of snakes commonly called "pit vipers". They get this name because of a pit, or tiny hole, located between the eye and nostril. These pits are heat seeking sensors that help the snake locate warm-blooded prey. Copperheads have elliptical pupils. Pit vipers have a set of well developed fangs capable of injecting venom. (Photo/Richard Dowling).
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
5. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest species of rattlesnake in the world. It is a heavy-bodied snake that can reach lengths close to seven feet, although the average adult is four to five feet. The tail is short and stout with a rattle or button at the end. The rattle is composed of hollow, interlocking segments that click against each other when the tail vibrates. The topside of the snake contains the characteristic yellow diamond shapes surrounding black and brown centers. The belly is generally yellowish to white. The large and distinctive head is marked with a dark band extending obliquely from each eye to the lips. The upper jaw contains movable recurved fangs. When encountered, the diamondback will often remain motionless until a threat is perceived or the snake is actually touched. A defensive posture is a coiled position with rattle erect, buzzing, and head near center of the coil. The act of striking can extend up to two-thirds the length of the snake. In a successful hunting event, the venom is pumped through the fangs into the prey to kill and digest the animal. The venom of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake attacks blood, tissue, and the nervous system. In a successful hunting event, the venom is pumped through the fangs into the prey to kill and digest the animal. The venom of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake attacks blood, tissue, and the nervous system. (Wikimedia).
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
4. Mosquito
Mosquito. Pregnant women should avoid countries where the Zika virus is present. The virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, can cause birth defects. Here are some of the pests that live in Alabama. Mosquitoes carry a variety of other diseases as well. This is an Aedes albopictus female mosquito obtaining a blood meal from a human host.
JOE SONGER
3. Timber Rattlesnake
Timber rattlesnakes are heavy-bodied snakes with a broad head that is distinct from its narrow neck. Adult timber rattlesnakes average 36 to 60 inches in total length. The coloration of this species varies from blackish to yellowish to pinkish, or grayish with dark, bent crossbands aligned along the dorsal length of its body. On many specimens a reddish dorsal stripe runs between the crossbands. The velvety black tail is short and thick, tipped with a tan rattle. Timber rattlesnakes inhabit hardwood forest with rocky outcrops, pine flatwoods, bottomland hardwood forests, and cane thickets. Timber rattlesnakes eat small mammals such as mice, chipmunks, squirrels, and occasionally frogs and birds. (Photos/Chris Funk and Scott Wright).
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
2. Cottonmouth
Cottonmouth are large, aquatic, venomous snakes. They are generally dark above - olive, brown, or black. A lighter to darker cross-banding pattern may be seen, especially on the sides. Adult snakes usually vary in length from 30 to 48 inches up to a maximum of 74 inches. Also known as a Water Moccasin, these snakes will vibrate their tails when excited. A thoroughly aroused cottonmouth throws its head upward and backward and holds its mouth wide open, revealing a white interior - the origin of the name cottonmouth. (Photo/David Rogues).
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
1. Black Widow Spider
The Southern Black Widow Spider, one of Alabama's venomous spiders.The venomous biteof these spiders is considered particularly dangerous because of the neurotoxin latrotoxin.The male black widow has unusually large venom glands and its bite can be particularly harmful to humans.All photos are courtesy of W. Mike Howell and Ronald Jenkins, from their 2004 book iSpiders of the Eastern United States: A Photographic Guide.i (Courtesy)
Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com
More animals of Alabama links
Snakes of Alabama
Spiders of Alabama
Sharks of Alabama
Butterflies of Alabama
Record Catches and Kills in Alabama
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30 pests you need to avoid in Alabama - al.com