There are more than 12,000 species of ants all over the world. An ant can lift 20 times its own body weight. If a second grader was as strong as an ant, she would be able to pick up a car! Some queen ants can live for many years and have millions of babies! Ants don't have ears. Ants "hear" by feeling vibrations in the ground through their feet. When ants fight, it is usually to the death! When foraging, ants leave a pheromone trail so that they know where they've been. Queen ants have wings, which they shed when they start a new nest. Ants don't have lungs. Oxygen enters through tiny holes all over the body and carbon dioxide leaves through the same holes. When the queen of the colony dies, the colony can only survive a few months. Queens are rarely replaced and the workers are not able to reproduce. Although ants are frustrating when they get into your home or when you're having a picnic, ants do help the environment. They are social insects, which mean they live in large colonies or groups.

Bed bugs get their name because they are commonly found in beds but can also be found in other places where humans spend a lot of time: hotels, airplanes, and couches.
Diet: Bed bugs can feed on the blood of any warm-blooded animal. Their most common targets are humans because, unlike animals with fur, we have a lot of exposed skin for them to bite.
Habitat: Bed bugs are typically found in beds and small cracks and crevices.
Impact: Bed bugs are typically found in beds and small cracks and crevices.When Bed bugs feed, they inject the skin with their saliva (this keeps the blood from clotting) and an anesthetic (this keeps the host from feeling the bite and moving). Bed bugs do not spread disease, but their bites can become red, itchy welts. Bed bugs are typically found in beds and small cracks and crevices.

Beekeepers use smoke to calm bees when they are collecting honey or relocating a hive. Bees make honey to feed their young and so they have something to eat during the winter. Killer bees have been known to chase people for over a 1/4 mile once they get excited and aggressive. Certain species of bees die after stinging because their stingers, which are attached to their abdomen, have little barbs or hooks on them. When this type of bee tries to fly away after stinging something, part of the abdomen is ripped away. There are about 20,000 different species of bees in the world. Bees live in colonies that contain the queen bee, the worker bee and the drone. The worker bee and the queen bee are both female, but only the queen bee can reproduce. All drones are male. Worker bees clean the hive, collecting pollen and nectar to feed the colony and they take care of the offspring. The drone's only job is to mate with the queen. The queen's only job is to lay eggs.

These pests are part of the same family as houseflies and fruit flies, because they all have two clear, veined wings. Best known as a summer pest, Mosquitoes can develop from egg to adult in 10 to 14 days.
Diet: We usually say, "I have been bitten by a mosquito", but this is not completely true. Mosquitoes do not bite. Female mosquitoes feed on plant nectar and blood. They need the protein to reproduce. To get to the blood, they pierce our skin with their "proboscis" and suck our blood. Male mosquitoes feed exclusively on plant nectars. Mosquitoes are busiest at night and will fly up to 14 miles for a blood meal. They hunt for food by detecting body heat and Carbon Dioxide, the gas we breathe out.
Habitat: Mosquitoes breed in soft, moist soil or stagnant water sources such as storm drains, old tires, children's wading pools and birdbaths.
Impact: Mosquitoes spread diseases such as West Nile Virus, malaria and dengue fever.

The largest spider in the world is a species of tarantula found in South America where one specimen had a leg span of over 11 inches. Spiders don't get caught in their own webs because they have self-oiling legs. Many people associate spiders with webs, but the truth is not all spiders spin these silk structures, which are used to catch their prey. In fact, several species of spiders use different strategies for obtaining food. There are about 3,000 species of spiders roaming around North America, but only two in the southern and western United States can cause serious harm when accidentally disturbed — the black widow and brown recluse.

All termites are social insects and raise their young as a group. The total weight of all of the termites in the world is more than the weight of all the humans in the world. Termite colonies eat non-stop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week! Termites have wings that they shed once they have found a good place to build a nest. Termites are known as "silent destroyers" because of their ability to chew through wood, flooring and even wallpaper undetected. There are about 2,000 known termite species in the world. Each year, termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage.

An adult rat can squeeze into your home through a hole as small as the size of a quarter. Rats can live for up to 18 months, but most die before they are one year old. Rats have strong teeth that allow them to chew through glass, cinderblock, wire, aluminum and lead. Smell, taste, touch and sound help direct them to their food sources. Rats are also responsible for spreading bubonic plague, also known as the "Black Death". Although fleas are primarily responsible for infecting humans, they were originally infected with the plague by feeding on the blood of rats. Rats are scavengers. They have an excellent sense of taste and a good memory. A rat can identify certain substances, including rat poisons, after just a tiny taste of it.

Fleas transport themselves on rodents and other mammals, and usually remain on their hosts at all times. The most common species is the cat flea, which often feasts on cats, dogs and humans. Fleas do not fly. Instead, they jump from one place to another. In fact, fleas can jump as high as 8" vertically, which is 150 times their own height. If we could do this, we would be able to leap over skyscrapers!
Diet: Fleas are parasites that feed on blood.
Habitat: Fleas can live on any warm-blooded animal, but seem to prefer to live on humans, cats, dogs, opossums, rats and other rodents. They can also be found on shoes, pant legs, or blankets.
Impact: Fleas are best known for spreading the Bubonic Plague. They also transmit the bacterial disease murine typhus to humans through infected rats. Their saliva is an allergen that can cause allergic reactions in pets and humans.

Cockroaches have been around since the time of dinosaurs! A cockroach can live almost a month without food. A cockroach can live about two weeks without water. Some female cockroaches only mate once and stay pregnant for life! A cockroach can live for up to one week without its head! Cockroaches can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes! Cockroaches can run up to 3 miles an hour. Cockroaches have been around for millions of years, evolving into some of the most adaptable pests on Earth. There are approximately 4,000 living species of cockroaches in the world. About 70 of these species are found in the United States. Cockroaches are commonly found in buildings and homes because they prefer warm environments close to food and water. Unfortunately, cockroaches can cause allergies and trigger asthma attacks, especially in children. They can also spread nearly 33 different kinds of bacteria.

Cockroaches have been around since the time of dinosaurs! A cockroach can live almost a month without food. A cockroach can live about two weeks without water. Some female cockroaches only mate once and stay pregnant for life! A cockroach can live for up to one week without its head! Cockroaches can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes! Cockroaches can run up to 3 miles an hour. Cockroaches have been around for millions of years, evolving into some of the most adaptable pests on Earth. There are approximately 4,000 living species of cockroaches in the world. About 70 of these species are found in the United States. Cockroaches are commonly found in buildings and homes because they prefer warm environments close to food and water. Unfortunately, cockroaches can cause allergies and trigger asthma attacks, especially in children. They can also spread nearly 33 different kinds of bacteria.

Pigeons are also known as "rock doves". They are monogamous and will lay one to two eggs that hatch within eighteen days.
Diet: Baby pigeons eat food that their parents eat and then regurgitate (throw up). Adult pigeons eat almost any organic food they can find.
Habitat: Pigeons build nests around farms, warehouses, mills and grain storage. They also inhabit parks, buildings and bridges in cities.
Impact: Pigeons are very dirty because they do not really clean themselves and they will live almost anywhere, under almost any conditions. They can cause food poisoning and spread disease such as cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis, salmonella. Their droppings can destroy buildings and statues. Other pests like fleas, lice, mites and ticks that also spread disease may live on these birds.

A Mexican "Jumping" Bean jumps because a moth larva living inside the bean squirms when it gets warm. The female moth lays between 60 and 300 eggs. There are about 13,000 species of moths in North America and about 165,000 species in the world. Silk comes from the cocoons of the true Silk Moth. More than 25,000 cocoons must be unraveled to make a single pound of silk thread. Some kinds of moths can stay active in freezing weather because their bodies contain a natural anti-freeze that keeps sharp ice crystals from breaking their cells. Most moths are nocturnal but seem to be attracted to light (for example, a porch light or a fire). One reason is that because moths are nocturnal, they navigate, or find their way around by using the moon as a point of reference. Moths can become confused by any other light source and they basically get "lost". As a result, they typically stay where they are, making it look like they are attracted to the light.