The Most Common Predators of Pests

The Most Common Predators of Pests

The natural ecosystem of the world includes all creatures big and small, herbivore and carnivore, eusocial and presocial, prey and predator. It is the natural order of life, and how our world continues to function as it has for centuries, at least in this way. While pests have a wide range of random creatures that can quickly end their lives, there are quite a few common predators that are dangerous to certain pests in their own ways. 

Birds

The first, and perhaps most common predator of pests, is birds. Birds are incredibly opportunistic and can thrive in a wide range of habitats. They eat all sorts of things, from insects to small mammals. This makes them a danger to a variety of pest populations. One of the main reasons birds are such successful predators is their adaptability; they can live in nearly any climate and habitat. They also have sharp beaks and claws that allow them to kill prey with relative ease. They can eat bugs out of the air, find them within greenery, and dig them out of the soil with their beaks. Birds that stay near the water can also swoop in and eat fish, which gives them even more protein considering the insects and parasites that fish eat. 

Because of their advantageous abilities, birds eat an impressive amount of insects every year: about 450-550 million tons! They get their energy from herbivore insects and arthropods, and use that energy to catch more bugs and feed them to their babies if they have any. Birds eat many types of small animals and insects, including beetles, ants, flies, moths, grasshoppers, crickets, and aphids. They will snatch these out of the air or off of a leaf, then eat it whole or feed it to their hungry chicks. 

Frogs

All frogs are carnivores, but the size and amount of insects that they eat largely depends on the size of the frog itself. Its long, sticky tongue gives it the advantage in the hunt for a meal, as insects will not see the tongue snap towards them until it is too late. Since frogs are mainly active at night, they largely feast on nocturnal insects that come out when it is dark and they feel it is safe to search for their own food. Insects give the much-needed protein and fat that frogs need for their energy, and they get their remaining nutrients from plants, small animals, and even other frogs. Young frogs can go a couple of days without eating, but adult frogs can go one to two weeks without a source of food! This aids them in their search for nutrients if there is nothing that dares to come close enough for the amphibian to catch it. 

The type of pests that a frog consumes largely depends on the size and weight of the pest and frog itself, as said earlier. Small frogs will eat small insects, like ants, crickets, fruit flies, aphids, bees, slugs, mealworms, millipedes, snails, and wasps. Large frogs eat all of those pests, but they can also eat larger pests like mice, small birds, praying mantids, and small mammals. The environment of the frog also plays a large part in their diet, as they will eat whatever is readily available. A frog that lives on the bank of a body of water will have an easier time finding dragonflies, mayflies, and many types of larvae than frogs who stay more inland. Frogs are often friends of humans who want to keep their land pest-free, since a frog will eat just about anything that moves. 

Bats

Bats are a predator of many pest species and have a unique way of catching and eating them. One notable species, the common vampire bat, even feeds on the blood of mammals. But most bats simply eat the actual pests that they catch at night. Considering how a small bat can eat around one thousand bugs an hour, it is hard to imagine just how many insects a large adult bat can eat. A mother bat that is nursing its young eats a lot, since she needs many more nutrients to keep her family alive and healthy. She will eat about four thousand insects in one night. Bats are similar to birds in that they can capture insects in the air or on a plant, but bats have the advantage at night since they don’t have the competition of birds and other diurnal predators. Their nocturnal competition is largely frogs, which stay near the ground and water and therefore don’t interfere with the bats’ meals too much. 

Bats use a few different skills in finding and catching their meals. They locate any pests with echolocation, then fly to its location. This explains why bats are seen flying in such sporadic patterns at night. The bat will then capture their prey with their wing or tail membranes, and reach down to grab and eat it. Some of the more common insects they enjoy are beetles, mosquitoes, stink bugs, and grasshoppers. Bats can be helpful in pest control by eating large quantities of bugs, but they can also carry rabies, so it is important to take caution when around bats and contact a professional to handle an infestation.

Snakes

Snakes are particularly dangerous to pest populations because they can consume prey much larger than themselves. This allows them to take down prey that other predators may not be able to handle. In addition, snakes often live in close proximity to pest populations, making them easy to find. When a snake is flickering their tongue, they are feeling for chemicals of nearby prey (or predators). They can also feel body heat due to their low proximity to the ground and the ability to essentially sneak up behind their prey. 

The snake performs a combination of stalking and ambushing in order to catch their meals. It will slither along the ground after their prey, wait until it’s in a good position, then strike and catch the blindsided creature. There are two common methods a snake uses in stunning the prey to prepare it for eating. One is by injecting venom into the meal through a bite. The other is by constricting the prey by the snake squeezing its body around the creature until it can’t breathe anymore. Some snakes combine the two and make for a painful death for their catch. Snakes will eat most small creatures, but the size of the meal depends on the size of the snake. Small snakes, like garter and sharp-tailed, stick to smaller insects like grubs and slugs. Larger snakes, like gopher snakes, rattlesnakes, and rubber boas, can eat insects and small animals like moles, mice, and rats. Snakes often eat their prey whole and alive, so it is best to avoid these slithering creatures altogether if you are a small animal.

Predatory Spiders

Predatory spiders are another common predator of pests. Spiders are generalists, which means they will eat just about anything they can get their hands on. Some specifically prey on other insects, while others feed on small vertebrates such as lizards and frogs. Some spiders even prey on other spiders! Certain spiders are equipped with venom that kills its prey in seconds so that the spider can enjoy a peaceful meal. The Australian Redback spider is notorious for its deadly venom that can potentially kill a human if the bite is left untreated. 

There are three main methods that spiders use in getting their meals, and each method is a favorite of certain spiders. The first method is hunting, where the spider actively seeks out and hunts for its prey outside of the web. Some spiders that utilize this method, such as the wolf spider and jumping spider, have excellent vision and choose to make a shelter rather than a web. Another method is web-spinning, where the spider, like the orb weaver, spins an elaborate web, then waits to sense the vibrations of incoming prey before the insect gets tangled in the web. A third method of catching prey is ambush, or sit and wait. This is when a spider will sit on their web or a plant and pounce on their unsuspecting prey when they get close enough. The types of spiders that most use this method include crab, funnel-weaver, and daddy long legs. Whatever method is used, one can be sure that spiders will get the meals they need in order to keep making webs and catching their prey. While most spiders are not harmful to humans, it is always best to be cautious and contact pest control if you have a spider problem.

Predatory Insects

Predatory insects are perhaps the most dangerous predator of pests because they know the minds of their fellow insects. There are many different types of predatory insects, such as ants, dragonflies, and wasps, each of which preys on other insects. Some predatory insects can be helpful in pest control by eating large quantities of pesky bugs, but others can be very harmful to humans. Predatory insects eat from a range of the life stages of an insect, and they even eat their meals in different ways. Some predators will chew and eat their prey, like the ladybug and ground beetle. Others will pierce the other insect and suck out their fluids, like the assassin bug and predatory stinkbug. 

While predatory insects have a variety of smaller insects to choose from, each kind tends to have its favorite methods and insects:

• Praying Mantis: This predator is also a generalist, meaning it is not picky about which insects it eats. It will wait quietly, its legs poised in the iconic “praying” position, and strike an innocent insect that flies too close to the mantis for its own good. These generalists will enjoy anything, but they especially like flies, moths, and crickets. 
• Beetles: Ground beetles find their meals on plants and on the ground (appropriately), and start eating other insects when they are as young as the larvae stage. Ground beetles enjoy soft and young insects the most, such as larvae, aphids, pupae, eggs, slugs, snails, and grubs. 
• Ladybugs: Ladybugs are cute insects, but they are dangerous to any bug smaller than they are. They will chew and swallow their prey, which is the why the prey has to be soft and small. Their favorites include aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, small caterpillars, and eggs of various insects.
• Dragonflies: Dragonflies are quick insects that use their strong wings to dart around and catch any bugs that are in the area. They catch the bugs in midair during their sporadic flights, and their prey tends to be water-loving insects since that is where dragonflies spend a lot of their time. Their preferred pests include mosquitoes, midges, and butterflies. 

Predatory insects can greatly help with population control of common pests, but they can become pests themselves if they get too comfortable in or near our homes. These are helpful bugs, but only when their own population doesn’t take over the land that they love to stay in.

Humans

Humans are perhaps the most obvious predators of pests, but not because we need them for food (usually). Common pests become the target of people when they invade our homes, yards, and everyday lives. Humans have access to a large number of tools and weapons that allow us to take down pests quite easily these days. In addition, humans can hunt and consume pests as food, which can have a significant impact on pest populations. Humans are dangerous predators for pests because there are many methods, both natural and man-made, that easily do away with the pest at hand. 

Easy DIY methods of pest control include:

• Fly swatter
• Shoes or stepping on it
• Water, like from a sink, shower, or hose
• Squishing with a tissue, book, hand, etc.
• Bay leaves
• Vinegar
• Essential oils

Man-made pest control treatments include:

• Pesticides
• Heat treatments
• Traps
• Fumigation 
• Glue boards
• Natural barriers
• Botanic and fermented treatments

Pest control is a solid option for both preventative treatments, where the goal is to prevent pests from entering the home in the first place, and extermination, where the bugs are eradicated through treatments that do not harm people or pets. Contact our team today to learn about the options for your pest concerns, and how to keep a pest-free home in this predator-eats-prey world. 

Citations 

How do snakes kill their prey?. (n.d.). Wildlife Removal USA. Retrieved on March 7, 2022, from http://wildliferemovalusa.com/snakeprey.html 

Pokorny, K. (2015, February). Snakes slither through the garden eating slugs, grubs, and other pests. OSU Extension Service. Available at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/snakes-slither-through-garden-eating-slugs-grubs-other-pests (Accessed on March 7, 2022). 

Raupp, M., Traunfield, J., & Sargent, C. (2022, February 23). Ladybird beetles or ladybugs. University of Maryland Extension. Available at https://extension.umd.edu/resource/ladybird-beetles-or-ladybugs (Accessed on March 7, 2022).

Raupp, M., Traunfield, J., & Sargent, C. (2022, February 23). Predators. University of Maryland Extension. Available at https://extension.umd.edu/resource/predators#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20insect%20predators (Accessed on March 7, 2022). 

Raupp, M., Traunfield, J., & Sargent, C. (2022, February 23). Predatory beetles. University of Maryland Extension. Available at https://extension.umd.edu/resource/predatory-beetles (Accessed on March 7, 2022).

Raupp, M., Traunfield, J., & Sargent, C. (2022, February 23). Praying mantid (mantis). University of Maryland Extension. Available at https://extension.umd.edu/resource/praying-mantid-mantis (Accessed on March 7, 2022).

Raupp, M., Traunfield, J., & Sargent, C. (2022, February 23). Predatory Spiders. University of Maryland Extension. Available at https://extension.umd.edu/resource/predatory-spiders (Accessed on March 7, 2022).

Rice, D. (2018, July 9). Yum! Birds eat up to 550 million tons of insects each year. USA Today. Available at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/07/09/birds-and-bugs-birds-eat-up-550-million-tons-insects-each-year/768342002/ (Accessed on March 7, 2022). 

What do bats eats?. (n.d.). USGS. Retrieved on March 7, 2022, from https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-do-bats-eat 

What do frogs eat in the wild? (n.d.). Birds + Wild. Retrieved on March 7, 2022, from https://birdsandwild.com/what-do-frogs-eat-in-the-wild/ 

What do frogs eat: The truth. (n.d.). Toads N Frogs. Retrieved on March 7, 2022, from https://toadsnfrogs.com/what-do-frogs-eat/