Appearance: Workers are approximately 1/4-inch long.

Habit: Live in colonies underground, from which they build tunnels in search of food. Subterranean Termites build mud tubes in order to able to reach food above the ground level. They also are dependent on moisture for survival.

Diet: Wood and other cellulose material.

Other: Subterranean termites cause 95% of all termite damage in North America. Colonies can contain up to 1 million members.

Appearance: Carpenter ants are among the largest ants, ranging from 1/4- to 3/8-inch long. Most carpenter ants are black, but some have reddish or yellowish coloration.

Habitat: Found both outdoors and indoors in moist, decaying or hollow wood.

Diet: Does not eat wood, but will feed on sweets, meats and other insects.

Other: Regardless of the age or type of construction, all buildings are vulnerable to infestation and damage by carpenter ants. They are very difficult to control since colonies can contain up to 50,000 workers.

Appearance: Fleas are small, wingless and 1/12- to 1/6-inch long. They are covered in spines with piercing mouthparts.

Habitat: A parasite that attaches to a host.

Diet: Larvae feed on organic debris, particularly the feces of adult fleas, which contain undigested blood.

Other: Their powerful legs allow them to jump 7 to 8 inches vertically, and 14 to 16 inches horizontally. Fleas carry parasites and disease organisms to human and animal hosts.

Appearance: The adult house mouse is small and slender and about 1-2 inches long. The house mouse has large ears, pointed nose and small eyes. The fur color varies, but it is usually a light grey or brown, but could be darker shades. The adult roof rat has a pointed nose, long ears, and its tail is longer than its body. They are agile, and extremely good climbers.

Habitat: House mice live in and around homes, farms, commercial establishments, as well as in open fields and agricultural lands. Roof rats live in attics, eaves, and small spaces.

Diet: Feeds on weeds, seeds, or insects.

Other: House mice contaminate food sources with their saliva and feces, and damage many structural materials, including wood, fiberglass, insulation, etc. and may pose a fire hazard if chewing on electrical wiring.

Appearance: Yellowish-brown body and are about 3/4-inch long with three dark bands on the head and thin antennae.

Habitat: House crickets normally live outdoors in garbage dumps, but will move indoors when it gets colder usually in late summer. Adults are very attracted to lights, and become active at night.

Diet: Can feed on a wide variety of fabrics, foods and paper products.

Other: House crickets can damage silk, woolens, paper, fruits and vegetables.

Appearance: The Palmetto bug, also called a "water bug" or the "American Cockroach", is the largest structure-infesting species-about 1/2-inch long. It has Reddish-brown wings with light markings on thorax.

Habitat: Prefers warm, damp areas. More likely to be seen in daytime and outdoors.

Diet: Scavenger; eats almost anything.

Other: Large infestations of Palmetto Bugs often give a room a distinctive oily odor. The debris they leave behind, feces, bits of cuticle and hairs can cause allergies and in rare cases lead to asthma.

Appearance: Wasps have smooth bodies, as opposed to bees that have hairy bodies.

Habitat: Bees and wasps will build nests in many places. Usually, the area must be protected, such as a tree hollow, under an eave, underground, in the walls of a building, sheds, attics, etc.

Diet: Like most species of bee, they mostly feed on pollen.

Other: Most species of the bee family have some ability to sting. For some people the sting can be allergic and even fatal. Extreme Pest Management Services would like to offer you the following tips to help prevent pests and termites from invading your home or business.