Despite advances in science, the hidden world of pest communication is largely unknown to humans. They maintain complex social structures and implement communication systems while we focus on removing unwanted pests from our homes and businesses. Researchers are learning more and more about pests. Ants and termites, as well as rodents and cockroaches, have sophisticated systems of signaling that they use to coordinate activities that are key to their survival.
Knowing these communication networks provides useful insight to get rid of pests in Tacoma and can also be useful for the development of better control strategies. This article covers the fascinating world of pest communication and how some common household pests communicate information to one another that humans rarely notice.
Do Pests Talk to Each Other?
Yes, pests talk to each other, often communicating via channels human senses cannot detect. This communication takes place through several sensory channels and not through verbal language as humans define it.
Pests typically communicate using chemical, visual, tactile , and acoustic signals, according to research. Ants utilize more than 20 distinct pheromones to create trails, warn of danger , and coordinate activity among their colonies, according to entomologists at the University of Florida. Cockroaches are able to identify colony members and share information about food sources through chemical signatures on their bodies.
Rodents use a form of ultrasonic vocalizations outside of human hearing (20-100 kHz), and rats employ specific calls to warn others about specific predators. In ideal situations, these ultrasonic communications can extend as far as 30 meters.
How Pests Talk to Each Other
Different pests have different ways of communicating with each other. Here are some of the common pests and how they talk to each other.
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Ants
Ants communicate mainly via chemicals they secrete, called pheromones. A single ant colony can use up to 50 different chemical compounds to produce sophisticated messages. If ants are foraging, they will excrete pheromone trails, which get stronger when food is located, and the intensity of the signal reflects the caliber of the food source. These chemical trails can remain for 24-48 hours depending on the environmental conditions.
Ants also employ tactile communication using their antennae to exchange information about colony status, nest conditions, and potential threats. Antennae taps occur in rapid succession between worker ants and essentially encode information about food location, with the number of taps related to distance.
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Rodents
Mice and rats communicate with vocalizations mostly beyond human hearing. Mice make at least five different types of ultrasonic calls, which serve different social functions. During courtship, male mice sing intricate “songs” that can exceed 100 syllables per minute.
Rats produce a range of frequencies (22–80 kHz) for different emotional states, and lower frequencies are typically associated with stress and alarm. In contrast, higher frequencies are generally associated with positive social behavior. Research indicates that rat pups make specific 40kHz calls when hearing such distress and are immediately retrieved by their mothers.
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Cockroaches
Cockroaches communicate mainly using chemical signals and mechanical vibrations. German cockroaches secreted specific aggregation pheromones that indicate to other cockroaches where to wear out their welcome. These chemical signals offer insight into why cockroaches are often found gathering in clusters.
Cockroaches also communicate by vibrating the substrate. They rub specialized body parts together to create vibrations that travel through surfaces. American cockroaches are capable of differentiating between different vibration patterns, which they use to locate mates and evade predators. These vibrations usually occur in the range of 1-5 kHz frequency and can propagate several meters on connected surfaces.
Conclusion
These communication systems are evolutionary adaptations that have allowed common household pests to coexist with humans. In summary, the growing body of research on pest information sharing will likely play an increasingly important role in integrated pest management as the science of pest control continues to evolve, enabling more precise, effective, and ecologically sound pest management strategies.
